Misery Everlasting
by Ceridwen Lucius
Summary: Callie came to a secluded area of Japan to sort things out about her life. There was also someone she needed to find. In the process, she finds two unexpected visitors who will change her life once again. They might also be each others last hope to be saved from a life of misery everlasting. NO yaoi.
1. Chapter 1

Callie sat on the damp sand of the private beach watching the beginning of another day. The water swirled around her feet, sucking at her toes before it receeded back into the ocean. Although she was in the place whose named translated into origin of the sun, the sunrise looked no different than it had from the balcony of her apartment on the east coast of the United States. However, at this point in her life nothing looked quite the same anymore no matter where found herself. She had come here to be alone, to think - to get her shit together in the most blunt terms. And to find someone.

Callie lifted the cigarette to her lips noting that her fingers were shaking. She puffed on the cigarette, chiding herself silently for not being over it by now. People received life altering revelations about themselves and their relatives every day. Why did she think she should be any different, to not have family secrets? Everyone had skeletons in their family closet. Hell, some people had a personal graveyard of secrets.

Gazing down the the ribbon of deserted beach, she saw two shapeless black masses had washed up on the beach. Those were not there when she had first walked down here in her attempt to find peace and relaxation after spending a sleepless night in the little beachside house she had rented for the summer. Staring at the big lumps that vaguely resembled seals, she would swear she saw one move. But seals didn't live in this area of Japan.

Callie stubbed her cigarette out in the sand before standing up to stroll down the beach to investigate. Whatever it was, she hoped it would not cause any further complications in her life. Both creatures were now moving. One of the beings stood up, and she could see that it was a person. The sound of strangled, watery coughs like that of a drowning victim who had just been resuscitated carried to her ears on the sea breeze. Both people were on their feet, wavering slightly. The second person who stood up hunched over to vomit water.

Her pace quickened to a hesitant jog. What was she doing? Possibly rushing headlong into danger, but she did that every day at her job of being the head emergency room nurse at a large inner city hospital. It was habit.

The sun had crept far enough into the sky that the figures were now bathed in the blinding golden light of early morning. Callie could see that the two figures were men. No, boys. Well, young men in their late teens. Younger than her anyway since she was in her mid twenties.

One young man had short jet black hair and was dressed in khaki pants and a maroon t-shirt with something on it in white letters. He had lost one of his black and white sneakers. The other young man had short orangish-brown hair and was wearing blue jeans and plain yellow t-shirt. Both of his shoes lay somewhere at the bottom of the ocean. The most bizarre thing about their appearance was the thick rope encircling each of their waists and tethering them together.

"What the hell is this?" she asked herself, slowing down to take cautious steps toward them. Apprehension raised the hairs on the back of her neck. Neither one of the young men appeared to be dangerous. They looked pale and scared - and like helpless drowned rats.

"Are you two all right?" Callie called out, startling them.

The black haired boy simply jumped back, his arms raised at his sides. The other one had a far more powerful reaction, leaping backwards and losing his balance to fall on his ass. He scuttled backwards on all fours like a crab. Callie took a few cautionary steps backwards to extend the distance between both of them and herself.

"Who are you?" the one with the black hair asked in a voice far too calm for the present circumstances.

"I should be asking you that. This is a private beach. No one is supposed to be here but me," she retorted, unable to keep the southern belle lilt from invading her broken Japanese. She almost laughed when the boys heads turned simultaneously in the manner of a confused puppy. At the moment, they could be considered cute. However, she could not rule them out as a threat just yet. "What are you two doing here?"

"I don't know how to explain it," the brown haired began, reaching down to struggle with the knot of the rope around his waist. "We were trying to - "

"Shut up!" the other boy snapped at him fiercely although there was no change in expression on his face.

For the first time, Callie noticed their eyes. Both of them had dark brown eyes with a reddish tint making them look maroon instead. Extremely unusual and striking.

There was nothing striking about her. At least she didn't think so. Her looks were pretty run of the mill and boring. Shoulder length brown hair that she usually styled in a ponytail or a bun, big brown eyes that most southern men referred to as doe eyes, and skin that was always tanned year round. The only remarkable thing about her appearance would be her muscular gymnast's body that she had been able to maintain by lifting patients and practicing advanced yoga techniques. Her shoulders were wide, her arms brawny, and her thighs were thick with muscle mass. If not for her short stature, she would be intimidating.

"Are you two in some kind of trouble?" she asked despite the answer being self-evident.

She folded her arms under her breasts like an impatient mother when the black haired boy refused to answer, and he glared at the other one in silent warning not to say a word. For at least a minute, which seemed like an eternity, the only sound to be heard was the rushing of the waves that lapped over their feet. Rolling her eyes, she sighed in exasperation. She wanted to help them. She couldn't stop herself. It was what she did every damn day of her life.

"Fine. Don't tell me," she snapped, turning her back on them. She started to walk toward the little house in hopes they would be smart enough to follow her.

"Hey, wait!" the brown haired boy called to her.

"Stop you idiot!" the other boy hissed at him behind her retreating back.

"No! We need her help whether you like it or not! She's our only hope at the moment!"

"But - "

"Look around! There's no one here!"

Callie could hear huffing and puffing amidst the whisper of sea grass waving back and forth to make way for legs.

"Hey, Lady!"

"What?" She whirled around to see the one more open to assistance running toward her.

"My name is Kō," he said in introduction. He turned the upper half of his body to glance back at the other young man who was slowly and reluctantly following. "That's Kei."

"My name is Callie," she offered in return, extending her hand to him. His fingers were wrinkled and overly soft from being waterlogged.

"You're an American?" he inquired curiously, blinking at her.

"What was your first clue? My terrible Japanese, the odd accent, or my name?" She gave him an amiable smile. He seemed to be sweet and easy to talk to, nearly desperate for help. Her eyes switched to the other one. His pale face was completely expressionless. She no idea what to make of him. Her attention went back to the friendlier boy in front of her. "Anyway, I'll allow you two to stay for the night. You can take a hot shower and rest. I'll fix you a few meals to fill your bellies. Tomorrow I expect you to be on your way."

"That's fair. Thank you," Kō said, bowing politely.

"One night is all we need. Thank you," Kei said in a softer, kinder tone than he had used so far. He also bowed to her.

"All right," she murmured, turning to continue to the house. "Let's go."

One night. Just one night. Then they would be on their way, and she would be alone again to figure out what in the hell she was going to do with herself.


	2. Chapter 2

Thankfully, Callie had packed plenty of loose, comfortable clothes for her journey. She took out two pairs of gray sweat pants and two t-shirts, one white and one blue, to give to her visitors to wear. While they were showering, she could throw their sea salt crusted clothes into the washing machine.

The small square house was comprised of four rooms divided by decorative shoji screens. There was two bedrooms, the bathroom, and the living room/kitchen area that was divided by a high counter with four bar stools sitting at it. Simplicity at its finest with a few modern conveniences. The small washer and dryer was in the kitchen. There was a television and a radio as well. Satellites on the roof caught signals for the electronics. Technology was a wonderful thing and could be found even in the middle of nowhere. There were some things she could not be without. She had brought her laptop with her. Her aim was not to cut herself off from everything - just people.

Callie sighed when she walked into the living room to see her unexpected guests sitting on the floor shivering in their wet clothes. Yet somehow people had found her.

"Here are some clothes." She extended both of her arms with the clothing hung over them. "You'll have to go commando of course." For some reason it amused her to see a light pink blush tint Kō's cheeks when he reached for the blue shirt and light gray pants. Kei had no reaction at all as he took the dark grey fleece pants and white t-shirt. "Go take a shower," she ordered them when they continued sitting on the floor shaking.

"At the same time?" Kei asked, his eyes meeting hers.

Callie raised an eyebrow, biting back an unnecessary and extraordinarily sarcastic comment. "Take turns then. I don't care what you do. Just stop dripping and shivering on the tatami mats. You'll ruin them."

"You go first," Kei encouraged his companion.

Callie quickly walked away to hide her smile when Kō nearly ran to the bathroom before Kei changed his mind. At least the boys were entertaining. She set about preparing breakfast figuring she would have enough time to get it done by the time both of them were showered. Once the rice and water had been measured into the rice cooker, she began the miso soup choosing to prepare it the quick way from a powdered mix. While the soup simmered, she cracked and whisked the eggs for a rolled egg omelette. It wasn't anything fancy but it was fast and would be filling. When carefully rolling up the fluffy, perfectly cooked eggs, she instantly became aware of how hungry she had become. Both tea and coffee would be served with breakfast since she preferred coffee being an American. Sometimes it felt like a disease being from the United States. However, there was something far worse about her identity than being an American.

"Boys, breakfast is ready!" she called, setting the plates on the counter for them. She chose to stand on the other side from them in the kitchen to eat. That way it would be easier to get whatever they might need.

"Do you have tea?" Kei asked while sliding onto his high seat.

"Oh, the tea!" she exclaimed, rushing to pour the tea into the two mugs she had ready and waiting on the counter. She also poured herself a cup of coffee into the cup already containing cream before returning.

"Thank you for the food," her guests sang in unison. At least they were soft spoken and polite.

Callie sipped her coffee while watching the young men eat. They ate like starving men. Since she had not touched her food, she slid her plate over to them to share it.

"You're not eating?" Kō asked, pausing with his chopsticks in midair above a piece of omelette.

"There's more," she responded with a shrug of her shoulders. There was miso soup and rice anyway. That would be enough. She dumped the remainder of both in one bowl and ate it while they polished off her plate.

"Here," Kei said, extending the last piece of rolled omelette to her.

Without a second thought, Callie leaned forward, taking the food into her mouth from between the chopsticks. At the time, it was just the natural thing to do. Kō was the only one who reacted to the intimate action by staring at Kei briefly before glancing at her and blushing deeply.

"You two should take a nap in the guest room until lunch. I'm sure you're tired after your ordeal," she commented casually, gathering the empty plates to take them to the sink.

"I'll wash those," Kō offered, bouncing off of his bar stool. "It's the least we can do after you cooking for us."

"You're right," Kei agreed grudgingly, coming around the end of the counter.

"All right then. I appreciate your help. I'll be outside. Feel free to make yourselves at home," she encouraged them.

Callie went outside to the small circle of shade trees located at the side of the house. The sun was riding high in the sky, and the heat was building along with the humidity. She started her exercise with easy stretches before going into the basic yoga poses. Her routine ended with a few gymnastic techniques such as handstands, walkovers, and a little tumbling to keep her skills sharp. Once that was done, she sat under one of the trees in the shade to cool off before going inside.

The lull in physical activity gave her time to think. Since she had just arrived yesterday after a long tiring flight, she had successfully been able to avoid any real contemplation of her situation. The stunning knowledge that had brought her to Japan weighed heavily on her mind; so heavy it made her shoulders slump under the burden. She recalled every word her grandmother had ever spoken to her about the grandfather she never knew. The man actually abandoned his family when her father was a small child never giving him a chance to know his own father. Her grandmother had loved that man with all of her heart, remaining devoted to him until the very end of her life. Her love was steadfast, undeterred by the fact that he was an epically big asshole. When asked about the reasons why he left, with a placid smile on her lips and tears in her watery blue eyes, her grandmother had answered,"I'm sure he had very good reasons, my dear."

 _Yes, I'm sure,_ Callie thought to herself, harboring no bitterness against him. About six months ago, she believed she discovered his reasons for leaving. The reasons did not excuse his cruel abandonment but the truth would have been harsher and far more dangerous if he had stayed. A few months later, to her great surprise, she found a video on the internet of a man she believed to be her grandfather. She had dug out her grandmother's old photo albums and played with aging software programs to create a picture of what he would like presently to compare to the man in the video. The resemblance was so close, it had to be him. So here she was in Japan, searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack. In her heedless panic to escape her own predicament, to find answers to what was happening to her, the full comprehension of the difficulty of finding one person in a country composed of 6,852 islands and a population exceeding 126 million had eluded her. But her grandfather was no ordinary man. She would find him. He had become quite the internet celebrity as well.

Callie entered the house to find the two young men passed out in the middle of the living room floor. She shook her head with a smile on her face. It appeared they had sat down for what was supposed to be a brief moment to relax and had fallen soundly asleep instead. She walked around the house, turning on the ceiling fans and sliding open the doors to allow the sea breeze to cool off the interior before the heat could fill the space to stifle them. Grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator, she sat down on the floor to recline against a large cushion to quench her thirst. It was not long before her own fatigue from a sleepless night and her vigorous exercise got the best of her causing her to fall into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Kei awoke to the sound of running water. The woman was in the shower. He rolled over onto his back, staring at the exposed square beams of dark stained wood. There was something odd about that woman that had been bothering him. She had been nice enough and seemed harmless. Her lack of surprise or fear at the their sudden appearance on the beach is what bothered him. Most women would have been terrified to come across two half-drowned young men who had washed up on the beach. Not only had she not ran away from the potential danger, she had ran to them to help. He wanted to know who she was and why she was here.

One thing he did know was that she was an American. Her presence here in the middle of nowhere in Japan made no sense. If she was a tourist, why wasn't she in one of the big cities staying at a fancy hotel? She should be plotting out her day of sight seeing at temples and other tourist areas. Instead she was alone and far from civilization yet still connected by the internet and TV. If she wanted to truly get away from it all, she would have shunned those interferences as well. Was she running from someone? Or chasing someone?

Kei believed most men would consider her pretty. Kō sure appeared to be enamored with her. In his life, Kei had never really formed an opinion about women's looks either way, good, bad, or ugly. He estimated her age to be somewhere between twenty and twenty-five, certainly no more than twenty-five. Her body confused him. Her round feminine face with kind features surrounded by wavy brown hair that looked soft as silk contrasted drastically with her body that was all hard, defined muscle. She was absolutely brawny, more so than most men - certainly more than him with his thin, lanky frame. He found her to be overwhelming in her appearance, in the apparent the raw physical power she must be capable of wielding. Yet he would assume she was not a violent person because of her benign personality; polite and cultured, obviously intelligent. Although her accent was weird and she pronounced some words incorrectly, she had a good understanding of their language - good enough to communicate anyway. She was assertive but not aggressive. Quiet and demure but he could see the potential in her to be demanding and downright domineering. He wondered what she did career wise. She must be in charge, a manager or some type of leader in her chosen job field.

Kei rose to his feet, going to the kitchen. He was thirsty. Opening the refrigerator, he scanned the contents in search of a bottle of water. The cold air from the refrigerator blew against his heated body as he stood there with the door open studying what was inside more carefully.

Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, two dozen eggs, fresh herbs, and very little meat made up the food staples. The entire bottom shelf was lined with bottles of juice and water. The drawers at the bottom of the refrigerator contained beer and bottles of white wine. There was no milk or cheese, not a single milk product. Next he went through the cabinets finding powdered and canned soup, a few bottles of seasonings, several bags of rice, and cans of chicken stock. There were also a few bottles of vitamins and protein powders. There were four bottles of red wine on the top shelf. Extremely health conscious despite having a penchant for alcohol.

Kei wanted to know more about her. He was not attempting to discern if he could trust her or not. After the events of the last few weeks, he trusted no one, not even Kō. Kō had become an ally out of pure desperation considering the circumstances. Presently, it was safer to keep him close, treat him as a comrade and friend rather than trying to go things alone. Besides, they had a common cause - to bring down that psychotic Ajin, Satō. All he had ever wanted to do was lead a quiet life as a fine, upstanding human being. That dream had been shattered upon discovering that he was immortal freak, not even human, an Ajin. A demi-human. Was that something like a demi-god? Being at least half human and half - what? What the hell made up the other half of a demi-human?

Kei walked through the open door of her bedroom once he was certain she was still in the shower. She sure did take a long shower. Lucky for him though. It gave him plenty of time to prowl around, to gain a glimpse into her life by poking through her things. He saw her open suitcase lying on the floor only half unpacked. The only contents missing were her underthings. The rest of her clothes remained in the big black rectangle with wheels laid in neat, square stacks, separated by outfits. Most of the clothes were workout type clothing in black, white, and gray with a few brightly colored things mixed in. He opened the closet to find five dresses and a few frilly shirts and skirts of varying lengths. Her shoes, fancy strappy brown leather sandals, tennis shoes, and two pairs of high heels, one black and the other a cherry red, both in patent leather, were lined up on the closet floor. He could not imagine her wearing the dresses and high heels. She would look more natural in the workout gear doing a headstand.

There was a closed laptop sitting on the desk in the corner along with several fiction novels about vampires and werewolves. Another book titled _The Fallacy of Immortality_ lay open, face down, to hold her place. An open carton of cigarettes with one pack missing lay on its side. A second vice for the health fiend. That surprised him. There was a notebook beside that with notes scrawled in deplorable handwriting across the white pages in black ink. Such bizarre choices in literature. The concept of his immortality still troubled him. He found her interest in the subject quite disconcerting.

They could not stay here long. After getting a good night's rest, they would be gone before the sun rose tomorrow. In the meantime, if anything happened or got weird, he would kill her. The time had come to do what was necessary no matter how drastic those actions might be.

Kei flipped open the laptop. The fan immediately whirred to live, the screen gradually lighting up. The screensaver came on when the computer came out of sleep mode fully. Pictures of her and people he assumed to be her family began to appear and fade for a new one to takes its place. There was a picture of her and older woman, most likely her grandmother. There was a photo, faded and discolored, of a happy couple on their wedding day. Most likely her parents because her face resembled that of the man in the photo. Her body type was just like that of the woman he presumed to be her mother, short and stocky but athletically muscled. Another picture slowly came into view. A black and white picture of a soldier in full uniform. After that came a digitally retouched photo of the same man, aged up and in color.

"No," he gasped seeing that the man in the digital picture looked disturbingly like Satō. Suddenly, there was something Kei needed to do. One in a long line of the many heinous, radical actions he had resigned himself to committing before he and Kō had leapt over that cliff.

Kei leisurely but purposefully strode toward the kitchen. He opened the drawers searching for a knife. She had been kind to them and cooked for them. The food had been really delicious. Despite her benevolence, he felt no compunction for what he was about to do. His fingers clutched the handle of a chef's knife with an asymmetrical triangular shaped blade.

The water was still running as approached the bathroom door. What could she possibly be doing for that long? He would find out soon. Reaching out, testing the door, he found it to be unlocked. Without hesitating, he pushed back the door. Then he stopped, finding his feet rooted to the floor.

Callie stood with her back to him. Her head was bowed so the water would splash against the nape of her neck and flow down her back. Her fingers were pressed into her shoulders, kneading the muscles there. A low moan like a stifled mournful wail escaped her, and her body shuddered. She was crying.

Kei clutched the knife in his hand so tightly his knuckles ached. "It has to be done. I need to know," he told himself out loud.

He lurched forward, grabbing her by the neck. Her head snapped up and her hands thrust out in front of her to keep her from smacking face first into the blue tiled wall in front of her. With all of his strength, he pushed her forward to pin her to the wall, pressing her cheek to the tiles.

"What are - "

"I'm sorry," he murmured, driving the knife into her back under her shoulder blade. She made a a noise like her last breath had been freed from her body. His eyes watched the dark crimson blood trickling from the wound. The water droplets dotting her back joined the red trail, lightening the color as it diluted her blood and eventually washed it away. More red streaks began to make macabre stripes down her back. He observed the red ribbons of life streaking across her skin to stain the backs of her legs before swirling away down the drain. The wheezing of her breathing made him feel sick. She was dying, slowly and painfully.

"Kei, please," she begged him.

"I'm sorry. I know you won't understand. I had to do this."

"I understand more than you know. It hurts," she whimpered, her body convulsing. "You punctured my lung. It hurts to breathe," she whispered, panting for air. She slid down the wall allowing her legs to fold beneath her until she was sitting on the open shower floor.

During her gradual descent, Kei held onto the knife, withdrawing it from her back.

"I'm drowning in my own blood."

"Drowning," he murmured to himself. He knew drowning was a horrible way to die. Not only had he killed Kō once by drowning him, going over the effects in his mind while he did it, he had experienced death by drowning himself after their frenzied escape from Yū Tosaki.

"Stab me again," she requested, gurgling from the blood filling her throat giving her voice a watery quality.

"What?"

"Stab me in the back again. Two inches to the right of where you stabbed me the last time. Push the blade all the way in," she instructed him. "Kill me, please."

"What are you? A doctor?" He could not believe what he was hearing. His mind had not been this muddled since he had awakened after dying the first time.

"A nurse. I was damn good one. Before - " Her words halted so she could haul in a an agonizing, wheezing breath. "Kei, please. I'll answer all your questions after..." She could no longer speak and began choking, ejecting spurts of blood from her mouth.

Kei dropped to his knees beside her body. He raised the knife, shoving it down into her back with both of his hands. The crunch of bone when one of her ribs broke grated harshly on his ears. The knife sank easily into her heart. He could feel the knife blade moving in his palm with each contraction of the muscle that continued to stubbornly beat within her chest. Soon though, her heart ceased beating.

Kei snatched out the knife, throwing it onto the floor beside her bent knees. He fell back on his behind, watching the water wash her body free of the blood.

As the last red tendril spiraled down the drain, she awakened with a jerk. Callie got up on all fours, vomiting the rest of the blood that had filled her trachea from her lungs.

"You're one too," he stated rather than asked.

"Yes," she replied, spitting out the rest of the blood. She twisted around to sit down on her behind, exposing her nude front to him.

"So you knew about myself and Kō?" His eyes roamed from her face, moving down her body. He allowed them to meander until they reached the round tops of her bare breasts. They lingered long enough to note that there were no tan lines on her body there before raising to her face again.

"I knew about you from watching broadcasts of Japanese news. I assumed Kō to be an Ajin since he was with you. You two were tied together after all. That shows some degree of trust, like he was a friend or that you share some kind of commonality," she pointed out, giving him a wry smile.

"Hmmm, I suppose so," he muttered, standing up. He shut off the water that had grown cold long ago, although the temperature seemed to have no effect on her.

Kei took a towel from the metal rod mounted to the wall. He draped it over her body while she continued to sit on the floor. His eyes were wanting to stray to other parts of her body. He did not own any dirty magazines and had never looked up internet porn to ogle women's naked bodies. However, being in person, sitting right next to a naked woman, had a tendency to rouse his curiosity bringing out his baser masculine curiosity which he had mostly ignored all of his life. She would be a fine physical specimen to observe too in the prime of her life with a body most women wished they could have but were too lazy to work for.

"Why are you looking for Satō?" he questioned her bluntly.

Callie stood to her feet, wrapping the towel completely around her body. She walked out of the bathroom to go to her room. He followed her right into the bedroom.

"Why are you looking for Satō?" he repeated insistently, turning his back to her when she dropped the towel.

"Be patient. We have time," she snapped irritably.

Suddenly, Kei felt her fingers digging into his shoulder before she jerked him around. Before he could react, she delivered a punishing slap to his face, so powerful that the follow through of her hand pushed him over onto the bed. He bounced off of the end of the low bed onto the floor. His face stung initially then began to throb with a bruising pain as if she had punched him with a closed fist. Pressing his hand to his injured cheek, his eyes flew upward to her face while she stood above him. Her eyes virtually glowed as he stared into them, seeing the gold ring around the pupil and the green flecks sprinkled throughout the brown irises. Her eyes were not common mud brown like he had thought. There was nothing common at all about her.

"That's for killing me, you callous little bastard," she growled through her clenched teeth. She stomped out of the room wearing nothing but the towel, leaving him behind. "I need a fucking drink and a cigarette."

So much for his theory that she was not capable of violence. Of course, he did deserve that.


	4. Chapter 4

Callie yanked open the refrigerator door. She went straight for one of the bottles of white wine in the drawers. Something cold and alcoholic was what she needed to cool her anger and her body that was starting to sweat. Snatching open the drawer full of kitchen gadgets, she noisily searched for a corkscrew. The footsteps of someone entering the kitchen behind her put her on high alert. She wouldn't let that little bastard stab her in the back again. Whirling around with the corkscrew in her hand, she was poised to use it as a weapon. Her arm dropped when she saw a sleepy Kō shuffling into the room rubbing the sleep from his eyes with his fists. She smiled to see the childlike behavior in a teenage boy of about seventeen who was teetering on the edge of manhood. Her rage dissipated to a more easily managed level enabling her to hold her temper.

"Hello there, sleeping beauty," she greeted him, her smile broadening when his bleary eyes tried focus on her.

"Hello," he returned still too sleepy to notice her terry cloth attire. "Water?"

"In the refrigerator," she replied, turning back around to open her bottle of wine. "Help yourself."

"Wh-what are you w-wearing?" he stammered. He finally noticed what she wasn't wearing as he reached into the refrigerator for a bottle of water.

"Your friend killed me while I was taking a shower," she returned, removing the cork from the bottle with a pop. "I neglected to get dressed before coming to get a drink to calm myself before I return the favor."

"Okay," he mumbled, twisting off the cap to his bottle. "Wait...what?"

"She's an Ajin. Like us," Kei clarified, walking into the kitchen.

Kō fell silent except for the loud gulps while he chugged the water.

Callie rolled her eyes, grabbing the wine bottle to take a swig before the leaving. She did not feel like bothering with a glass. It would only slow her down having to refill it. Retreating to her bedroom bottle in hand, she slid the screen closed so she could get dressed without prying eyes being on her. She missed the satisfaction of being able to slam a door while angry. She retrieved a pair of white shorts and a lime green off the shoulder Bohemian top. Once she was dressed, she grabbed her pack of cigarettes and the lighter in addition to the bottle of wine before going straight to the wide porch that surrounded the house.

The breeze was strong and cool out here. After plopping down in one of the wooden Adirondack chairs, she lit a cigarette then took another long draw straight from the bottle. At the moment, she could care less about being elegant and appropriate.

"What happened?" Kō asked gently, sitting down in the chair next to hers. He had brought another bottle of water with him.

"Like I said, that _friend_ of yours killed me. I guess he was doing his own little experiment to see if I was an Ajin," she muttered angrily, draining the bottle to the halfway point. That was only the second time she had died. She had never wanted to do it again after the first time.

"Sorry. We don't know who to trust. We're being hunted," he explained.

"You don't have to make excuses. I understand why he did it. Would it have been so hard to simply ask?" The combination of alcohol and heat was taking effect making her feel a bit light headed, her lips tingly. By the end of the bottle, she would be comfortably numb. Leaning back in her chair, she decided to take her time getting to that blissful point.

"When did you know you were an Ajin?" Kei inquired, sitting down on in the plastic chair on the other side of the door from where they were sitting.

"A few months ago. A patient going through DT's was brought into the emergency room," she replied, pausing to suck on the cigarette.

"DT's?" Kō asked, leaning toward her.

"Detoxification. Drug withdrawals. He was yelling and convulsing, sweating and puking. It's always a terrible scene." She blew out the smoke she had been holding in her lungs. "He had a big gash on his arm from all of that thrashing around he was doing. Probably cut himself on a tin can in the alley where he had passed out to begin with. When the doctor raised the needle to sew him up, this guy suddenly regained consciousness. He grabbed a pair of scissors off the instrument tray. He stabbed me in the neck. In the carotid artery no doubt. He pulled out the scissors, and I bled out right there on the floor of the emergency surrounded by doctors and nurses. I woke up as I was lifted onto the gurney to be taken to the morgue. I lied and said he missed the artery, refusing to allow the doctor to examine me. I was put on medical leave after that. I couldn't understand what was happening to me." She stopped talking long enough to hit the cigarette again, immediately blowing out billows of smoke. "I used my sudden inordinate amount of spare time to search the internet for answers. That's how I learned about Ajin's. And how I found the man I believe to be my grandfather. The one called Satō."

"No way," Kō breathed, his eyes bigger and rounder than usual in shock.

"Way," she returned like a life long smart-aleck, giving him a big grin.

"I saw the pictures on your computer. It certainly looks possible he's the same person," Kei interjected.

"You snooped through all my stuff?" she demanded, allowing her offense to carry through her voice.

"Yes," he answered truthfully.

"Did you enjoy rummaging through my panty drawer?"

"I missed the pleasure of doing so."

"Everyone loves a smart ass," she grumbled under her breath. "So what about you? How did you learn you were an Ajin?" Callie asked, directing the question at neither one of them in particular.

"I'm not sure. I really can't remember," Kō murmured, scratching his head.

"You probably tripped and fell off the top of a building," Kei said with no hint of joking in his voice.

"That would explain my fear of heights. I've kinda gotten over that recently. I really didn't have much a choice."

"Kei?" Callie prompted when he did not automatically offer the information.

"I was hit by a produce delivery truck," he replied succinctly. "Didn't you see the news?"

"I did. But we're trying to have a conversation here. I'm attempting to make you a part of it," she explained, finishing off the wine. She grimaced at the sting of the lukewarm wine sliding down her throat. At least it washed away the remnants of the taste of blood and soothed over her nerves. She lay back in the chair, closing her eyes.

"What do we do now?" Kō asked.

"I don't know," Kei replied sounding exhausted and defeated.

"Well, you two are welcome to stay here as long as you like since our secrets are out. We should be okay for a while since no one knows you're here but me. We will figure out what to do eventually."

"We?" Kei questioned her.

"Yeah, we," she returned, turning her head to glare at him. "It seems like we're all stuck together now since we are all Ajins and have a common goal."

"And what would that be?" he challenged her, his reddish brown eyes holding hers.

"We want to destroy Satō." She stood up to go inside, taking the empty wine bottle with her. "Face it boys, I'm yours whether you like it or not."

"That doesn't sound like a bad thing to me," Kō murmured thoughtfully.

Kei flashed him a withering glance. "Shut up would you?"


	5. Chapter 5

Callie was sitting on the porch smoking another cigarette and drinking a beer. She had left the boys to do the dishes after dinner. It appeared they had fallen into an unspoken understanding that she would cook, and they would do the cleaning afterward. The arrangement suited her rather well because she hated cleaning but loved cooking. The only reason she cleaned her apartment was because she hated the filth more than the sweeping, dusting, and scrubbing to get rid of it. Although they were helpful, she still found the arrival of her uninvited guests extremely bothersome.

Callie doubted they wanted to be here anymore than she wanted them to be here. She could not imagine how frightened those boys were. Discovering her immortality had scared the hell out of her. At least she had been able to hide her secret. People were not trying to hunt her down and kill her - yet. Maybe for a little while they would be safe here. They all needed to find rest and peace in their lives that had become a waking nightmare. They also needed time to figure out what they were going to next, and how to proceed with stopping Satō.

"Poor kids," she muttered to herself, watching the smoke she had blown out dissipate in the temperate breeze.

The crickets and frogs made a deafening cacophony of sound. She had come here expecting quiet but had instead been exposed to a different kind of racket. Over the years she had grown deaf to the clamor of the city. The drone of traffic, beeping horns, yelling neighbors, slamming doors, and such had become background sounds, a soundtrack to her life, that she no longer noticed. She had moved back to city soon after graduating high school to attend nursing school. It had been only natural she would return to the city. When her parents were killed, she had been forced to move to the tiny secluded rural town where her grandmother had always resided. Growing up, the music of nature had been a relaxing constant. It would take some time to grow accustomed to it once more. She had a lot she needed to get used to in her life now.

"Callie?" Kō called from the open door to her left.

"Hmmm?" she grunted, staring into the dark at nothing at all. This was a special kind of darkness out here with no street lights and no full moon to illuminate the area.

"Do you mind if I watch television?" he asked, staring at his feet as he shuffled back and forth nervously.

"Go ahead. Just stay away from the news channels. I doubt there's anything on there any of us want to know about," she warned him.

"Probably," he agreed, turning to go back into the house.

He reminded her of a small child. Callie allowed her lips to curl upwards into a small grin. He was so sweet; so innocent and awkward. While she was preparing dinner, he had stood next to her at the stove to keep her company. He had told her about the incidents of Kei poisoning him with mushrooms, drowning him, and then locking him inside the trailer of a wrecked and abandoned eighteen wheeler. By the time he reached the end of detailing the account of his imprisonment, she was ready to stop chopping the onions to go chop Kei into itty bitty pieces instead. Where was Kei?

"Kō, where's Kei?" she inquired, standing up from her chair. She gazed at him from the doorway without entering the house.

"He said he was going for a walk," he responded, mesmerized by what was on the screen in front of him.

Callie bypassed the steps to run to the end of the porch before leaping off. Hitting the ground with her knees bent to absorb the impact and keep from spraining her ankles, she dropped to roll across the ground. The dew on the grass soaked through her t-shirt but it didn't matter. She was about to get sweaty anyway as she leapt to her feet and bounded off toward the sea taking a barefoot jog to nowhere in particular. Soon she found herself panting and slogging along through the wet sand with ocean foam covering her feet then receding. Once she had worked up a sweat that was streaming down her face and drenching her shirt, she decided a swim would be good. After running off most of her stress, a late night dip in the ocean was exactly what she needed to work out the soreness in the tense muscles of her neck and shoulders. Without a second thought, she stripped off her shirt and shorts carelessly tossing them onto the dry sand so they would not be dragged into the water by an errant wave.

Callie squealed with delight like a child from the warm water surrounding her body, the waves delicately pushing at her body. Lurching forward, she dove beneath the surface, swimming underwater until she ran out of breath. Upon breaking through the top to pull in air, she glanced around to find the thin strip of beach so she could get her bearings to prevent herself from swimming further out to sea. Her body glided through the water like a dolphin skimming the surface while she swam laps parallel to the shore. Once her muscles burned off the tension, she decided to return to the beach. Exhausted but feeling energized at the same time, she crawled back onto shore then flopped over onto her back to gaze at the sky.

"I had forgotten there are so many," she mumbled out loud to herself while staring at the expanse of black studded with diamond like stars. "So pretty."

Immediately Callie was seized with the disconcerting feeling of being watched. Her body tensed and goosebumps rose over every inch of her skin despite the warm water that ebbed and flowed around her. She sat up, turning her head to listen. Unfortunately, all she could hear was the rumble of the waves and the wail of the ocean breeze. However, she knew there was someone out there. Considering it could only be one of two people, her choices were limited. One person she had left in the house glued to the tv screen. She believed she had just found the other person; or rather, he had found her. She wished he would trust her, let down his unbreakable guard for just a second. But she had no idea what the boy had been through. He had become an overnight media sensation due his body being splattered all over the road by that produce truck before he miraculously got up and walked away. Their form of immortality was no miracle. It was more of a curse like that of being a vampire or werewolf. Not being able to die had its advantages, but never ending life came with far too many sacrifices she had not been ready to make.

Callie was startled by the tall sea grass rustling and swaying behind her. Considering it was only a small patch that moved, she knew it was him and not the breeze. He frightened her. Men who had the ability to put all emotion aside, thinking logically, considering the best case scenario for what benefited themselves, terrified her. Those kind of men were the ones who did detestable things like starting wars, exterminating millions based on race, creed, or religion 'for the greater good,' killed people for their own amusement, or abandoned the people who loved them in a moments notice. What scared her more was the thing she hated most in her grandfather and now in Kei was the same thing she refused to admit dwelled in her own inherent personality. No one wanted to admit the trait they most abhorred in others was the same one they disliked about themselves the most.

Callie watched the grass sway again and tried not to move. She could picture him there, hunched over with a knife in hand, waiting to attack. Closing her eyes, she lay back on the sand. Time to call in reinforcements. She concentrated on conjuring up the shadow like beings who had protected her as a child. Back then, she had treated them like friends, playmates only she could see. When her grandmother grew concerned about her imaginary friends, sending her to a psychiatrist for medication and counseling. To stop her grandmother's tears and to keep the frail woman from worrying herself sick, she had put them away like one tucks away photographs and mementos in a memory box. From time to time, she would call them up at will to reassure herself that she was not crazy after all. Her unexpected vacation after the incident at work had allowed her to get reacquainted with the real shadows of her past. She had learned to work them like marionettes, puppets to perform her will. The time had come to test them to see if she had mastered them fully.

Inhaling a deep breath through her nose, she issued their orders. "Seek. Detain. Do not harm him."


	6. Chapter 6

Kei could not believe what he was seeing. Two black ghosts appeared, flanking the mostly naked woman lying on the beach. First, he had been shocked that she had detected his presence. Then to see this! Not only could she produce a black ghost, but she had made two at once. He studied the two black beings that resembled crudely formed mummies. One was tall, lanky with thin arms that reached down to its knees. The large hands bore extra long fingers that tapered down into knife-like blades. The head was a long but narrow oval shape having no opening for a mouth. The other black ghost was much shorter, about the height of its creator, with the same build. The head was round with a big, gaping mouth full of shark like teeth. The fingers and toes were tipped with talons like a bird of prey.

Kei sucked in a startled breath when the creatures suddenly ran straight at him. He scooted backwards as fast as could to distance himself before standing up. As he turned to run, one of the things grabbed his arm. The stinging sensation of what felt like needles stabbing his arm made him cry out. For a second he was transported back to his time at the lab when he had been poked, pulled, cut, stabbed, shot, and tortured in a myriad of ways, murdered time and time again for research. Shaking off the paralyzing memory, he wrenched his arm free from the creature. To prevent himself from being grabbed again, he conjured up his own black ghost to fend off his attacker.

Kei stumbled to his left when his black ghost pushed him out of the way to seize the tall one that had been holding him. He was soon confronted by the small one who slowly, threateningly moved toward him with its clawed hands raised. Glancing to his right, he saw that the other two were locked in a furious fight. Risking turning his back to the black figure stalking him as if he were prey, he spun around to run. He heard Callie's voice carry over the waves and wind, but she was not talking to him. He looked back to see the short black ghost jump on the back of his ghost that held the tall black ghost of Callie's in a headlock. The vicious little creature clawed and bit at his black ghost, tearing away chunks of the mysterious matter that evaporated without a trace. The tall one started slashing with his knives, severing the arms of his black ghost. Within seconds, the two working as a team had decimated his black ghost into nothingness.

"Damn," he muttered, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. That thing was so damn frustrating. But she had taken him by surprise. How the hell did she know how to use her black ghost so well? He had so many questions he wanted her to answer. Somehow he had the feeling the account of her first death, the revelation of her status as an Ajin, had been truncated. She had not lied, but she had left out too many details.

"Cease!" he heard her yell, making him come back to his senses. He glanced up to see her two black ghosts surrounding him, both prepared to deal him a death blow with their lethal hands but waiting for a command. Instantly he envied her for having complete control over them. He stared at her as she approached him wearing nothing but her white bikini underwear. She was far too comfortable being naked, and her being naked made him incredibly uncomfortable.

"Will you please put some clothes on?" he demanded, lowering his eyes to the ground. He could feel his face heating up with a blush which induced full blown humiliation.

"Sorry, I left them down at the beach. I wasn't expecting to be attacked. I kind of forgot to get dressed," she snapped, waving her hand as if she were a magician. "Disappear."

Kei could not contain his startled gasp of when the two creatures followed her command and vanished as if they had never been there at all. He reached behind his neck, pulling off his shirt to hand it to her. His eyes kept straying to her breasts. This time they had lingered long enough to see that her breasts were round, firm, sitting proudly on her chest in way that made it difficult for him not to stare. Under his breath he cursed the distressing biological reaction that had caused a pulsing hardness between his legs. Sometimes being a man could be damned inconvenient when that _thing_ popped up.

"Here. Put this on," he said, looking away from her while he held out the t-shirt to her.

"You are a shy one, aren't you?" She chuckled in way that irritated him because she was obviously aware of his difficult situation and amused by his unease. "Have you even kissed a girl, Kei?"

"That's none of your business," he returned hotly, growing more annoyed. He contemplated why he was getting so angry with her. The thought occurred to him that he could be attracted to her, but he swiftly shoved that silly notion out of his head. However, he remembered that it had bothered him greatly, stirring up the stomach churning, sick feeling of jealous in his stomach, to see her and Kō getting so cozy in the kitchen earlier. Yet he could not help but imagine that she viewed Kō with the affection reserved for a sibling. He could practically feel her gaze of contempt on him at the moment. She did not try to hide her feelings at all. While it made her easy to read, to understand what she was feeling and thinking, it also made dealing with her more complicated. He had never wanted anyone to outright hate him, but in the end he really didn't care what anyone thought about him.

"What do you want?" she questioned him impatiently, tugging at the hem of the shirt that hung down to her mid thigh.

Kei considered how the shirt had barely reached his waist, but it was so big on her. She was a short little thing but her strength, her power of body and mind, made up for what she lacked in physical stature. His eyes met hers that glittered in the dim light from the stars. There was new moon tonight so the small points of light from the dying stars above them was all they had for illumination.

"I want you to answer a few questions. There are some things I want to know about you," he replied without bothering to hem haw around. He pegged her to be a straightforward person who would appreciate the lack of dancing around the issue.

"Where do you want to begin? With what really happened the day I died the first time? Or how I have two of those IBMs?" she asked, folding her arms under her breasts.

Kei smiled. Open book. Folding the arms over the chest screamed in body language that she was feeling threatened and wanted to protect herself. What could she possibly be hiding? He already knew the worst possible secret she could have hidden, that she was the granddaughter of Satō. When she attempted to walk past him, he grabbed her by the upper arm. His fingers that only encompassed half of her arm tightened when her bicep flexed and hardened under his palm.

"What is an IBM?" he questioned her.

"That's what they're calling those black things. It stands for Invisible Black Matter. I found it on the internet when I was searching for other information. It's amazing what you can find doing a web search. There's all sorts of information that is supposed to be classified or private being leaked for the world to see," she said, staying still and keeping her eyes on him.

"Invisible Black Matter?"

"Black, that's obvious. Invisible to humans. Only Ajin can see them. Matter - "

"I see," he snapped irritably.

"You do see," she returned, giving him a sideways grin that was nearly a smirk.

"How do you know so much?" His grip tightened on her arm.

"I told you," she sighed, reaching up to place her hand over his,"after finding out I was Ajin, I had an inordinate amount of time on my hands. I was a nurse, accustomed to working twelve hour shifts up to six days a week. When I wasn't at the hospital, I was at the gym. Suddenly, I had nothing to do. I found myself wanting to die because I was depressed." She paused, inhaling a long, wavering breath. Her hand squeezed his lightly to make him aware of how tightly he held her arm. "Just when I wanted to the die the most, I couldn't...no matter how much I wanted to."

"About that - "

"Yeah, I know. Come on," she said, patting his hand. She carefully peeled his fingers away from arm, freeing herself to walk away from him.

Kei had no idea why he had been hanging onto her so stubbornly. He stared at his hand momentarily before glimpsing at her back while she walked toward the house. His long legs enabled him to catch up with her easily.

"I need a drink and a cigarette," she mumbled as if talking to herself.

"Has anyone ever told you that you smoke and drink too much?" he asked, coming alongside her because he did not like walking behind her.

"What? Is it going to kill me?" She turned her head to look at him with that funny, lopsided grin that was becoming a permanent part of her face.

That little smile always came with her particular brand of sarcasm. She had perfected the art of being a stealthy smart ass, so much so Kei figured most people viewed her as an outright bitch. He was getting accustomed to her little quirks though. He didn't quite like her yet, but he didn't hate her guts either. Unlike how she felt about him. Of course, murdering someone within hours of meeting them was not the best way to form a favorable impression. He could have - should have actually - handled that differently. But at the time, he had deemed it to be the appropriate action to take. He did not regret his choice.

"Sit down," Kei gently commanded her as they mounted the steps that led to the porch.

"But I want - "

"I'll get them," he assured her, walking through the open door into the house.

Kei paused to glower at Kō who had fallen asleep with the television blasting some awful, low grade horror movie about zombies. He shuddered when he glanced at the images of badly made up people who were supposed to look like half rotted corpses.

Satō had continued to age but was immortal. The question came to his mind if they would all continue to age until they were nothing more than desiccated shells, dried up human beings that looked like mummies without the wrappings. No one really knew much of anything about Ajins - least of all him. The stranger outside apparently had gleaned more information than he knew from simply searching the expansive world wide web.

Kei snatched the remote out of Kō's half opened hand, switching off the television. He went to Callie's bedroom to retrieve her cigarettes and lighter, then went to the kitchen to get her drink. Since he did not know what she wanted and for the sake of convenience, he grabbed one of the beers. As he was about to close the refrigerator, he paused before reaching back inside to get himself one of the cold aluminum cans filled with the fizzy, alcoholic drink.

When he returned outside, he found her sitting in the Adirondack chair, her legs pulled up to her chest. The angle of the drastically sloping seat placed her knees under chin. He noticed that she was shivering as if cold.

"Here," he said, offering her the things she wanted. He handed her the second beer for himself, ignoring her questioning expression. "Hold that for me. I'll be right back."

He went back into the house to get a blanket from the closet in her room. As he turned away, he thought of his companion asleep in the living room. After grabbing another blanket for him, he left the room. He draped one of the blankets over Kō's sleeping form that had curled into a fetal position. Afterwards, he went back to the porch to place the other one over the woman trembling in the chair.

"You know what, Kei?" She stopped talking to light her cigarette. "You have the makings of a real decent guy. If you would only allow yourself to feel something. Dare to have an emotion occasionally. It won't kill you." She giggled humorlessly as she snapped open the top of her beer. "After all, nothing kills us."

"That's not exactly true," he mumbled under his breath, leaning against one of the square posts holding up the roof over their heads.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"So ask your questions already," Callie prompted him, noisily slurping her beer.

"Tell me exactly what happened when you were killed at the hospital. There's too many gaps in your story," he pointed out, pulling at the tab on the can in his hand. He raised the can to his lips, taking his first taste of beer.

This was his second taste of alcohol in his whole life. He had drank sake with two of the men at grandma's village to smooth things over with them when they began to grow suspicious of him. Unfortunately in the end, it had not mattered. The tranquil life he thought he had found had been nothing more than a fragile dream that had been shattered to bits. Grimacing from the tang of the alcohol, he realized the overall taste wasn't bad. At first he had tasted nothing but strawberries. She drank an expensive brand of beer, not the run of the mill cheap stuff. The finishing taste was almost sweet but that sweetness was negated by the distinct taste of bitter alcohol.

"So how do you like the beer?" she inquired, avoiding the subject.

"Not bad. I think I prefer sake though," he replied, taking another sip.

"Oh, so this isn't your first time?"

Kei did not appreciate the double entendre hinted at by her choice of words. She had already surmised that he had not kissed a girl which had been embarrassing enough. He had not held hands with a girl much less anything else. None of that had mattered. Relationships, even familial ones, had been a nuisance, an obstacle to his goals of studying to go to university and of doing everything possible to be a productive, useful member of society. And for what? He still wound on the outskirts of society as a whole. Hell, he wasn't even human.

"Well, this guy coming down from his drug binge was brought into the emergency room," she began, launching into the recollection. "Apparently someone called the cops to report this guy in an alley near the dumpsters convulsing and foaming at the mouth. He had a gash on his arm that extended from his wrist to his elbow." She sighed with obvious annoyance. "Doctors are sworn to uphold the Hippocratic Oath, a promise to always help the sick and treat illness to best of their ability, no matter what. So here's this guy...a penniless drug addict that we're bound by laws and ethics to save. It doesn't matter that he'll go out and do it again. Possibly killing someone else or himself in the process. Anyway," she murmured, getting herself back on track. "By this time, he's unconscious so we don't think about strapping him down. The wound's been cleaned, and he's ready to go so before anymore blood can be lost the doctor begins. This guy suddenly wakes up, grabs the scalpel from the tray, and leaps off the bed. He knocks down two nurses in the process. They're both injured, one is out cold from hitting her head on the floor and the other is not far behind in losing consciousness. That leaves me and the doctor. Being a woman, he sees me as the weakest one and lunges for me."

"That was a huge mistake on his part," Kei interjected.

"And mine I'm afraid. I grab him as he comes at him, attempting to throw him to the floor."

"Is that why you didn't call your black ghosts? Because you thought you could handle him?"

"Black ghosts? That's what you call them?" She lit a new cigarette from the one between her lips that was at the end of its usefulness.

"As you were saying," he rejoined, steering her toward the subject at hand. She had a tendency to lose her train of thought easily, but who wouldn't with so much running around in their head.

"I thought I could take this guy down. In my arrogance, I had forgotten how strong tweakers can be, especially those desperate for a fix. I made the mistake of not grabbing his wrist to disable the hand holding the scalpel. He rammed it into my neck, and I dropped to the floor like a sack of bricks." She made a scoffing sound before continuing. "It's amazing how fast years of study and medical training can be forgotten by a professional when they are the one lying on the floor with their life on the line. I pulled out the scalpel which allowed the blood to flow quickly and freely. If I had only waited..." She sighed sadly then cleared her throat. "As I lay there dying, surrounded by a pool of my own blood, I watched that man kill the doctor with his bare hands. Humans can be horrible creatures. Never think less of yourself for being a demi-human," she told him, drinking her beer.

Kei spun around to look at her. He would like to hear more about her experiences as a nurse later, but now he was fascinated by the fact that she understood part of him so well. It was as if she had been able to read his thoughts. Perhaps she knew he felt like a monster devoid of humanity because she had the same feelings about herself. He went to her, dropping to his knees in front of her chair.

"What happened then?" he asked like an excited child who had been listening to a riveting bedtime story.

"Well, the cops who had been waiting to take him to jail after he was sewn up came rushing in. Other doctors and nurses came in as well. There was confusion and panic. I awakened just as they were lifting me onto a gurney preparing to take me to the morgue. Who wouldn't think i was dead with all of that blood on the floor?"

Kei could see that her hands were shaking as she raised the can to her lips. Her saw her face twist into an angry expression upon realizing the can was empty. He handed the half full can in his hand to her which she took without hesitating. A nice warm, slightly floaty feeling had come over him giving him a somewhat disconnected sensation as if he had been separated from reality by the narrowest of margins. This must be what she liked about drinking.

"It all happened so fast. Everyone was freaking out so it was easy to pass off a lame excuse about the scalpel missing the artery. I also began helping take care of the wounded nurses to further get the attention off of myself. I was put on medical leave the next day. When I refused all examinations, medical and psychological, I was fired. Losing my job was better than allowing my secret to be known," she reasoned aloud like she was explaining it to herself.

Apparently being a nurse had been very important to her. Kei noticed the single gleaming teardrop on her cheek that sparkled like dew. Without thinking, he reached out to touch it, removing the tear with his thumb.

"Kei."

The way she called his name made belly tighten. His eyes met hers when her hand cupped his cheek. He noticed that her skin was frigid. Her body still shook, although she was under the blanket. Despite the temperature of her hand, her trembling had nothing to do with being cold. Her identity as an Ajin still frightened her. He was not completely comfortable with the concept himself, but he was getting used to it because their was no other choice. She still seemed to be fighting it, willfully ignoring her immortal status. When he had killed her, he had blatantly reminded her of the truth - a truth she struggled with mightily. One of his hands lay over hers that was pressed to his face, the other rubbed her arm over the blanket that covered it in an attempt to create warmth.

"You're far more human than many of the people I saw in that emergency room," she said, leaning forward. "Besides, I'm beginning to believe being human is highly overrated."

"Maybe so," he agreed, allowing his eyelids to drift downward when she inclined her head toward his. He held his breath when she pressed her lips to his cheek close to his mouth, so close that her lips grazed the corner of his.

"Do you want to know about my black ghosts?" she asked, separating herself from him by leaning back in the chair.

Kei gazed at her. She looked exhausted. Her eyes had formed dark circles underneath giving them a hollow, sunken appearance. How had he not noticed how tired she looked earlier? Because he had been selfishly bent on eliciting knowledge from her for his own purposes, that was why. She needed rest; and so did he for that matter.

"No. We can save that discussion for another time."


	7. Chapter 7

Kō woke up early still lying on the living room floor in front of the television. The sun had not yet risen. Rolling over onto his other side and pulling the cover over his head, he could not remember ever waking up this early in his life - at least not on his own. Listening for movement in the quiet darkness, he detected nothing, not even a sound, except for a light snoring coming from Callie's room. Neither Kei nor Callie was awake.

Of course they weren't. They had stayed up late talking and doing god only knows what else. He had fallen asleep therefore he had no idea what had happened between those two. Hopefully, a whole lot of nothing was what went on. Kei did not seem interested in women or sex so he wasn't too worried about it. That guy was so **not** normal. Surely Callie wouldn't be into someone like Kei. Besides, he had murdered her to discover if she was an Ajin.

Kō's plan for last night had been to stay in the living room, to be as near her as possible to keep Kei as far away from her as possible. He didn't want Kei to hurt her again; or do anything else to her body. His need to protect her was mostly out of jealousy because he wanted to be near her, but whatever. None of that mattered anyway. In the end, he had failed because he could not stay awake.

"Dammit, dammit," he grumbled, punching the floor as self-loathing set in.

Hopping up from the floor, Kō went outside. Shivering in the damp, cool predawn air, he took off running not only to warm up but to work off the tension seizing his body and making him antsy. He ran until he was sweating enough that his t-shirt stuck to his body. It felt great to be out of that prison where Kei had put him. Bastard. Despite being able to move around freely in a wide open space, he still suffered from a caged in feeling he could not shake. The sneaking suspicion that this sensation would be a constant in his life from now on made him agitated.

Ajins were still human beings. Why the hell couldn't people just leave them alone to live their lives like anyone else? It's not like he wanted to kill people or had to drink their blood or something like that. One thing he agreed on with Kei was that he wanted to life a pleasant, quiet life. However, he did not want to do it alone. And certainly not with Kei. Callie though could be a different matter entirely. Thinking of her only added to his restlessness but in a completely new and unsettling way.

After stripping off his shirt, Kō dropped to the ground to do push ups. A picture of the pretty older woman formed in his head. She was gentle and kind, sweet and nurturing. That heartless prick Kei didn't deserve to be in the same room with her. If that asshole touched her last night...well, he could not bear to think about it to figure out what he would do to Kei. He continued doing push ups until his triceps and biceps burned. His arms were shaking like trees in a hurricane each time he forced himself up. He attempted to do one last push up but his shuddering arms gave way to send him crashing into the ground face first. At least the tall grass under him made a soft cushion to plant his face into.

Immediately his mind started to supply him with images of Kei holding Callie in his arms. Lips touched, hands roamed, and Kō was gripped with nausea. If he was going to think about something like that, couldn't his brain have the decency to put him into the picture instead of Kei?

"Fucking, Kei," he muttered, panting to catch his breath. "No. No fucking Kei. Ugh!"

Her doing _that_ with Kei was his worst nightmare. Flipping over onto his back, Kō proceeded to perform sit ups. This time he purposely centered his imagination on her. He started to fantasize about what she looked like naked. He couldn't help it. Seeing her in those tight little yoga shorts and a form fitting lycra tank top yesterday had given him all needed to fill in the blanks of what she looked liked underneath. She didn't wear a bra except for sports bras. She didn't need a bra really. Her breasts were a bit on the smallish side, round and firm due the muscle mass supporting them. They would make a good little handful he was sure. His sordid musings quickly turned to ponderings of if her areola would be a brownish or pinkish color or maybe a shade in between. Would her nipples be large or small? Pointed or flat? He grunted with the effort to continue doing sit ups despite his painfully contracting abdominal muscles. Gritting his teeth, he pushed past the torment of his aching belly until his body refused to allow him to continue. His empty stomach spasmed due his overzealous workout. Leaning to the side, he vomited stomach acid that burned his throat and mouth. Once he was through retching, he rolled over a few times despite the pain it caused him to distance himself from the disgusting mess.

Kō stretched out his body to lay spread eagle in the grass on his back staring up at the sky above him that had turned a glorious blue with the rising of the sun. He had no idea how long he had been out here but obviously it had been a while. Raising his head to place his hands under it made him groan in agony when his sore abdominal muscles flexed. His breathing was still labored from his vigorous exercise. The anxiety gripping him had subsided to be replaced by debilitating tiredness.

Wearing himself out physically had done nothing to still his mind. His imagination ran rampant, concocting images and scenarios he knew he should not be thinking about. He liked Callie. He wanted her for more reasons than sex but that was all he could think about at the moment. Did she sleep naked? He pictured Callie lying on her bed in the little house, her nude body wrapped in a white sheet. He chuckled thinking about her sprawled half way onto her belly with her mouth hanging open, snoring up a storm. It had been difficult to believe that terrible noise was coming out of her, but he had heard it for himself. The outlines of her breasts, her butt, and her shapely thighs would be evident under the thin cotton barrier. Her body was unlike anything he had seen in the racy magazines Kei had brought to him to entertain himself in that makeshift prison cell.

Callie was so nice and polite, especially to him. Women of any age usually ignored him. He was painfully aware of the fact that he was not particularly smart and more than a little clumsy. She treated him like a real person, not a moron. He had fallen in love with her at first sight. How could he not love her? This time it was no mere crush like he had on the girls his age. Callie was a grown woman, beautiful and confident. Most of all, he liked that she saw him as a human being and didn't make him feel like more of an idiot than he already thought himself to be. He sighed sadly. As much as he wanted her, he doubted she would ever want him.

"Dammit," he grumbled, slamming his fist down on the ground. He grunted from the movement because it caused a surge of pain through the overworked muscles of his upper arm.

Kō licked his lips that were getting chapped due to dehydration and being exposed to the stomach acid he had vomited. He grimaced at the sickeningly sour taste coating his mouth. Gross. His body desperately needed water. Time to get up and go to the house.

While walking, Kō used his still damp t-shirt to wipe away some of the copious amounts of sweat flowing down his body. He swiped at the rivulets coursing down his forehead before the salty fluid could get into his eyes to sting them. On his way up the stairs, he tripped and hit the wooden planks of the porch hard right on his chin. The impact was like getting punched by a championship boxer. His teeth snapped together with so much force he feared he had chipped a couple of them. Stars of white light appeared behind his eyelids and burst like fireworks. Now his head ached in addition to the rest of his body. To make things worse, he had fallen flat on his belly at the feet of the woman he had been daydreaming about.

"Wow, you really are a klutz," Callie giggled, bending down to assist him with getting to his feet. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," he muttered, unable to meet her gaze. Humiliation made him feel like his face would be consumed by flames at any given second.

"Oh," she gasped, taking his chin between her thumb and forefinger. "You cut yourself."

"It's no big deal," he assured her, reaching up to touch his chin. Pulling back his hand, he saw that his fingertips were coated with blood. He became aware of the wet warmth of blood flowing down his neck. Tipping his chin downward, he could see drops of blood that were dripping onto the porch. "Shit."

"It's pretty bad," she commented, taking him by the wrist to lead him inside. "Let me take care of it."

"No, really I'm fine," he argued but compliantly followed her. Dizziness swamped him unexpectedly, causing him to stagger slightly.

"Oh, oh, hang in there, sweetheart," she murmured, ducking under his arm to hang it over her shoulders while using her body as a prop to hold him up. "You hit quite hard back there. You might have a bit of heat exhaustion as well. You're also dehydrated. I know what I'm doing. I'm a nurse remember? You do as I say. No arguments."

"I'm sorry," he apologized, leaning on her heavily because his knees weakened under him.

Kō's knees buckled, betraying him completely at the door of the bathroom. He arms went around her shoulders to hold himself up while hers encompassed his waist to keep him from falling to the floor. As much as he willed his body to move, he could not help her as she dragged him to the shower, easing him down to the floor. His vision blurred, and he saw two of her while she struggled to prop his limp body against the wall behind him. A strangled cry escaped his desert dry throat when she turned on the water that was freezing cold and stung his hot skin like icy pellets.

"I need to bring down your body temperature. I'll be right back," she told him before running from the room.

Moments later, Callie returned with a bottle of water. He took the bottle from her, greedily draining its contents.

"You overexerted yourself," she chastised him, kneeling beside him on the shower floor. She blinked furiously as the water rained down on her from the shower head. "What were you doing out there?"

"A little exercise. To work off some frustration," he replied, raising his eyes to her face. "I think I can take things from here. Thank you. Can I have another bottle of water?"

"In a minute. I need to give you something to replenish your electrolytes as well. But before that, I need to check this laceration under your chin," she explained, tilting his chin upward with her fingertips pressed lightly to his jaw on both sides of his face.

Kō closed his eyes to keep the water from splashing into them. He concentrated on the sensation of her fingertips gliding over his jaw, chin, and neck. When her hands slid down his neck to his chest, he held his breath. Her touch was tender like he thought it would be. She must have been a really good nurse. Undoubtedly her patients liked her.

Kō's eyes opened so he could see her. The white t-shirt she was wearing had gone transparent from the water. The areola was a light brown with a pert little nipple in the middle poking at the material that was see through. Mystery solved. The frigid water pouring down on him did not prevent him from developing an erection. Although the moment was completely inappropriate for such a thing, he could not stop his body's reaction to seeing what he had recently been fantasizing about. Her hands moving over his body was not helping him at all causing him to develop a throbbing ache that extended to his lower abdomen and thighs. So much for the old cliché of taking a cold shower to get rid of unwanted sexual arousal. He jumped at feeling her hands roaming expertly over his ribs to examine them for breaks.

"Mmm," he grunted, grabbing her wrists when her searching fingers tickled his intact ribs.

"Are you in pain?" she asked, worry evident in her voice.

"It tickles," he groaned, pulling her hands away. He had been enjoying her gentle manipulation until she tickled him. Now his body would be oversensitive no matter where she touched him. "I'm fine. Really. I'm not dizzy anymore either."

A whole new set of problems had taken hold of him pushing aside the faintness and pulsing headache.

"Well, I'll leave you to take a proper shower. The bleeding is stopping from that cut on your chin so I think you'll be okay with a couple of butterfly stitches. I'll also have a drink ready for you," she told him, standing up to leave him alone.

Kō shakily stood to his feet when the door closed behind her. Once his pants and underwear were removed, he soaped up to wash away the sweat and stench. Since he could not rid himself of the hard on any other way, he took matters into his own hands, biting his lower lip to hold back his moans. Sweet relief came with the assistance of his active imagination that had been awarded a boost by seeing her breasts through her shirt. Afterwards, he dried off then wrapped the towel around his waist because he had no clothes to change into.

Pausing at the bathroom door, the warmth of a blush covered his face due to the guilt rising inside of him. He was embarrassed and battling the guilt of thinking such lascivious thoughts about her while bringing himself off after she had been trying to help him. Despite feeling ill at ease, he went to the kitchen where he saw her stirring a packet of powdered mix into a glass of water. The mix turned the water an electric green color.

"What's that?" he asked, suspicious of the neon colored fluid in the glass. Surely she wouldn't try to poison him. She was not like Kei. At least he didn't think so.

"It's a sports drink. In most basic terms it will replace the salts you sweated out so that your body can continue relaying electrical impulses like the ones that keep your heart beating and the neurons firing in your brain. You know, the important things that keep you alive," she explained, suddenly staring off into the distance. "But I guess it doesn't matter. If you died, your body would just heal itself replenishing those anyway. I just can't allow that to happen. I suppose it's something built into me. I'm accustomed to saving lives. Not taking them."

"I suppose so," he murmured, picking up the glass from the counter to drink it. He was really not in the mood to die today. Kei had killed him enough times in succession that he was good for a while on the whole dying and coming back to life thing.

"Look up," she kindly ordered him, taking the backing off of what looked like a strip of thin, clear adhesive tape.

"What's that?" he asked, gritting his teeth while she pressed it onto his chin making the cut burn like she had poured salt into the wound.

"Butterfly stitch. Nothing more than a band-aid really," she told him, adhering another one to his skin to keep the wound closed.

Kō could feel her body pushing lightly into his while she inspected the cut carefully. His arms longed to encompass her waist, but he kept them held stiffly at his sides. She had changed into a dry shirt but her hard nipples were poking through the fabric to scrape across his chest every time she inhaled and exhaled. He leaned back against the counter when the room swirled around him.

"All better?" Callie smiled up at him before stepping back a few paces.

"All better." He closed his eyes, pressing his fingertips to his forehead. How could he have been such a pervert and thought such awful things about her, treating her as a mere object?

"Kō, are you all right?" Callie questioned him, pressing her hands to his face.

"I'm fine. Why?" He opened his eyes to see the evident worry on her face.

"You're so red. Your breathing is labored. Are you about to faint?"

Kō did feel a little swimmy in the head. "I might be."

"Come on. You need to lie down." She tucked herself under his arm to support him, leading him to her bedroom.

"Wh-what are you d-doing?" he stammered when she pulled him to the bed.

"Kei's still asleep in the other room. I would prefer that you lay on a comfortable bed rather the floor. You need some rest." She placed her open palms on top of his shoulders to push him down on the bed.

"Callie," he murmured, leaning forward to press his forehead to her belly.

"What is it?" She embraced him lightly with her arms around his shoulders. Her fingers raked through his hair like she was petting him. He didn't care if she thought of him as a pet or a kid or whatever as she continued to stroke his head, her fingernails scratching his scalp ever so slightly. Her touch was calming. It felt great too.

"I'm sorry, Callie," he groaned, placing his hands on her waist. The dizziness worsened, making him feel nauseated too. He did not want to throw up again, especially not on her. Doing that would make him die of embarrassment. That would be a worse way to go than poisoning or drowning.

"For what?"

"I-I, uh, I feel sick. I don't want to - "

"Lay back," she whispered, assisting him with reclining to a prone position on the bed. "The feeling will subside if you rest. Get some sleep."

Kō was sure she had treated many patients the same way, holding them with the same loving kindness as she did him while lowering his body back onto the bed. He grunted when her hand slipped from under his neck after his head was positioned on the pillow. Her hands were cool and smooth. She pressed her palm to his forehead once again to check his temperature. Her palm felt good against his overheated skin, and he had wanted her to keep it there. His hands stubbornly held onto her hips while she hovered above him on all fours. He did not want to let her go. Unfortunately, he could feel his grip slipping while the drowsiness crowded out his consciousness. Going to sleep was frighteningly similar to the last few seconds before dying. As he drifted away, the whirring whine of nothingness starting to deafen him, he felt her lips brush over his forehead.

"Goodnight, sweet Prince," he heard her whisper.

"Callie, don't leave me. Please stay. I don't want to be alone. I'm scared." Kō feared the words had been only a thought before he lost his battle with the encroaching specter of sleep. Perhaps they were better left unsaid anyway.


	8. Chapter 8

Callie leaned against the wall after carefully closing the shoji screen behind her. Her eyebrows knitted together over her nose with deep concern. Kō had been mumbling incoherently while he fell unconscious. She chewed her thumb thoughtfully. It was not what he had been trying to say but the expression on his face that worried her. He had looked frightened. Had he been begging her not to go? Poor baby. She could not imagine the things that had happened to him in the past several weeks. The imprisonment alone would have traumatized her. Damn that Kei. She chomped down on her own thumb with enough force that it caused her to cry out in discomfort.

"What's wrong?" Kei asked, poking his head around the wall from the kitchen.

"Ugh," she groaned, rolling her eyes. She thought the old adage was _speak_ of the devil and he shall appear. It seemed she had conjured him up simply by thinking about him.

"What's your problem?" he snapped irritably, twisting off the cap of the bottle of juice in his hand. The seal gave a satisfying pop when it released.

Callie swallowed becoming aware of her own thirst. That bottle of juice in his hands looked good. She ignored his cold, inquisitive stare as she walked toward him.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she grumbled, walking around him to get to the kitchen.

"Did something happen?" he questioned her, sitting down on one of the bar stools to watch her paw through the contents of the refrigerator.

Callie eyed the frosty beer cans longingly. It was too early in the day to drink alcohol. She had to set limits on her own vices after all. She settled on a bottle of grape juice. Close enough to wine for this time of day. She stood up, bumping the refrigerator door closed with her hip. Before answering him, she took a sip of the juice to wet her dry throat.

"Kō tripped and fell cutting his chin pretty badly. I think he might have heat exhaustion from exercising too hard. He's sleeping in my room at the moment."

"Couldn't wait to get him into your bed huh?" His mouth tipped up on one side into a smirk.

"That was uncalled for, and don't be stupid," she snapped angrily, glowering at him hotly. "You were still asleep in the other bed. I couldn't bring myself to put him on the floor when he was miserable and in pain."

"Why wouldn't you have sex with him? Haven't you thought about it? He's thought about having sex with you. A hundred times or more, I'm sure," Kei said, smirking at her like a self-important brat.

"How little do you think of me? You just assume I'm a slut? You really are an awful person," she snarled, her nostrils flaring while she kept a stranglehold on her temper that screamed to be free. Taking another sip of her juice, she frowned. Wine might be a necessity to deal with Kei. She was in no mood for his brand of bullshit right now.

"I never said I thought you were a slut," he defended himself calmly. "Sex is like any other physical need, isn't it? Like hunger or thirst? It just needs to be sated like eating and drinking takes care of the basic appetites. So if you did want to have sex with him - "

"I wasn't aware I needed your permission," she rejoined angrily barely restraining herself from reaching across the counter to slap the hell out of him. "You're such an idiot. He's just a kid. I wouldn't - " She ceased speaking. Who was she trying to convince? Him or herself? Slamming the bottle of juice down on the counter, unable to stand by idly while he kept smirking at her with that conceited all knowing grin, she growled at him viciously, "You are a hateful little shit. What makes you think you know so much? So what if I want to have sex with him? What is it to you?"

"Nothing," he returned with a shrug, keeping his eyes focused on her face.

Callie gazed into the dual reddish brown voids centered on her. He looked like a big, over confident predator regarding his chosen prey with the cold assurance that he was on top of the food chain. This kid pissed her off more than she should allow him. He was baiting her, testing her, and she was willingly stepping into the emotional minefield he was laying out in front of her. Forcing herself to push her fury aside, she decided to play his game by his rules. Placing her arms the smooth surface of the counter, she leaned forward toward him. Her eyes looked away then reconnected with his to give him the same apathetic, logical consideration he was bestowing on her. She smiled; a rapacious grin of warning to him. If he was as smart as he thought he was, he would back off now.

"Would you be jealous? Would you wish it was you?" she asked, running the tip of her finger around the top of her juice bottle.

"Tch, hell no," he muttered, annoyance seeping into his voice.

"Hmmm," she hummed, sliding her hand up and down the bottle in a stroking movement. She forced her lips into a frown when she noticed his eyes studying the motion of her hand. "Tell me Kei, do you ever think about it?"

"About what?" The light pink blush tinting the tops of his cheeks under his eyes told her he knew exactly what she was referring to.

"You know," she sighed, lowering her eyes flirtatiously before meeting his again. "Sex."

"Do you really think Kō's that innocent?" he questioned her in an attempt to shift the topic of conversation away from himself.

"What do you mean?" She had an idea of what he meant but pretended not to have a clue. For some reason she found it difficult to think of Kō in a sexual way. She picked up her bottle of juice swirling it around like it was wine. Actually, she wished it was wine more than ever due to the outrageous turns this conversation keeps taking.

"Seriously, Callie? You're a grown woman. You're not that naive," he said in a way that made her feel like he was accusing her of something.

"What are you getting at?"

"When Kō was locked in the trailer I brought him things to keep him busy so he wouldn't lose his sanity in addition to being a complete idiot. He requested a few things as well."

Callie refused to ask 'what did he ask for?' like he wanted her to. She allowed the silence to grow between them no matter how disconcerting it became. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips when he huffed impatiently at her lack of cooperation with his attempt to manipulate her.

"I brought him pornographic magazines, tissues, and lotion. What do you think he did with those things?" he demanded, his eyes flashing furiously.

Callie would swear his eyes had grown more red but that was probably her imagination since she had managed to make his temper flare. The fact that Kō was a horny little devil was not shocking. He was teenage boy full of raging hormones. If masturbating to glossy pictures of women showing what made them women was the worst thing he could do to find relief from the tidal waves of testosterone then so be it. If anything, Kei was the weird one because he _didn't_ have those thoughts and urges. She shrugged her shoulders, batting her eyelashes at him. In English, allowing her Southern accent to thickly coat her voice, she rejoined, "I assure you, Kei, I haven't got the foggiest idea of what he could have done with those things."

Kei growled in aggravation, raking his fingers through his super short raven black hair. She knew he would understand every word she said since English was a required subject at Japanese schools. He seemed like a smart kid, too smart actually, for his own good. Getting under his skin, breaking through that immovable, passive exterior of his to elicit an emotional response from him made her happy.

"Can I use your computer?" Kei inquired to receive no response. "There are some things I need to look up."

"Sure. But it's in my room," she added as a subtle indication that she would not be going to get it now.

"Why can't you go get it?"

"What do you want to look up?"

"I need to find an ally, someone who can help us. Someone in a high position, a government official...or someone in a military organization. Maybe a police officer who would have access to resources we don't. I don't know," he murmured, scrubbing his hands over his face. "I just know I need to find someone to help us or there's nothing we can do. With just the three of us, we can't accomplish a thing."

"You're right," she reluctantly agreed with a sigh of resignation. It wasn't like the three of them could stop Satō and his small group of terrorists all by themselves. Besides, they had no idea how far his reach had already extended. "I'll get the computer later. Kō's sleeping. I don't want to wake him."

"You know, this would have been a whole lot easier if you had just killed him," he grumbled irritably like a pouting child.

Callie was too shocked to react other than her jaw dropping open while she stared at him in disbelief at what he had said.

"Killing him would have made his body reset, healing completely, in a minute or so without all of this ridiculous recovery time," he explained.

Callie understood his point, but it did not make his frosty indifference any easier to handle. His ability to be cold-blooded in his decision making, remaining completely separated from his emotions even when discussing committing murder, stunned her.

"How can you be that way?" she whispered, unable to speak louder.

"What way?" he asked offhandedly, drinking the orange juice left in the bottle as if they had been casually talking about the weather.

"So cold...so detached. We're talking about taking a life. Of killing - "

"It's not really murder if they won't stay dead, is it?" he demanded, his voice taking on a razor like edge that would have cut her emotions in two if she had not deadened them earlier. "In every bad situation there will be necessary casualties. The innocent must sometimes die with the guilty. But then again, I don't believe anyone is ever truly innocent."

"You're a - " She could not bring herself to say monster when she looked into his eyes. There was pain there; pain she could not fathom swimming in the tears that gathered in the corners.

"How many people have you killed, Kei?"

"It doesn't matter," he mumbled, his lower lip quivering. He stood up from the bar stool. "Besides, some people deserve to die."

Callie watched him as he walked around the edge of the counter to throw his empty bottle away in the trash can. Before he could turn around and leave the kitchen, she grabbed his forearm. She squeezed tightly when he attempted to shake off her hand.

"Kei, tell me what happened to you?" she pleaded with him.

"I've always been an emotionless asshole. My own sister calls me a big jerk."

"Tell me," she insisted.

Kei sighed with resignation since he could tell she was not going to let him. Callie would have followed him around day, asking question after question, until he broke and he seemed to know that.

"I was captured and tortured. I was held in a lab where did they research by killing me over and again in the most horrible ways. They performed an autopsy on me while I was still alive. I felt everything. I could feel them cutting and removing each organ. They cut off my arms and legs and...and other things, many times all in the name of science, of studying Ajins. I was shot, stabbed, burned, and...and...I won't bore you with any more details."

 _Thank god_ , Callie thought to herself having heard too much already. She turned to him, putting her arms around his waist. Placing her head against his chest, she listened to his heartbeat. His body was warm. He was alive - and somewhat human, although he didn't act like it. His body stiffened in her arms, but she clung to him despite his resistance. When his hands pressed against her shoulders, she expected to be pushed away, but he did not move any further.

"Let me go," he commanded her gruffly.

"No," she shot back, unintentionally sounding whiny and petulant. "I won't let you go."

"Okay, then," he murmured, dropping his arms to his sides. "It's your turn to tell me something." He paused, continuing when she did not say anything. "What happened to your parents?"

"When I was four, maybe five, several men rushed into our apartment while we were having dinner. My father pushed me into the pantry to hide me. Those men murdered my parents," she said, pressing her cheek more firmly against his scrawny chest.

"When you came out, what did you see?" he asked her.

Callie squeezed her eyes shut tightly. She remembered the policeman asking her the exact same question. His tone had been the same; direct, uncaring, a 'just the facts ma'am' tone. She inhaled then answered his question. "My mother was lying there in a pool of blood. There was so much blood...everywhere."

 _In every bad situation there will necessary casualties. The innocent must sometimes die with the guilty._ Kei's words echoed in her head. Callie shook her head to make them disappear before they continued on an endless loop to torment her.

"Where was your father? Is he Satō's child?" he questioned her, seizing her by her upper arms.

Callie did not notice that he was pressing his fingers into her arms with bruising force as her brain scrambled to put the pieces together of a puzzle she had not thought about yet. She gasped, raising her head to be able to look into his eyes. "He was gone. Yes, he was Satō's biological child. So that means - "

"Your father has to be an Ajin too." He provided the words for her because she could not speak them. "We have to assume your father's not dead. Those men were there to capture him, and they killed your mother. He's alive. Somewhere."

"I can't...I can't...I don't want to think about it," she stammered, taking her arms from around him. She turned her back to him, pressing her palms to the counter to hold herself up.

"Callie."

She jumped as if a bolt of electricity had shot through her body when he touched her shoulder. She did not turn around. Black particles were rising from her hands and arms. This had happened on that horrible night too. After emerging from the pantry, she had seen her mother lying on the kitchen floor surrounded by a puddle of crimson fluid. Although she had been a child, she knew there had been nothing she could do for her mother. _Mommy is dead,_ she recalled thinking with stunning clarity. Glancing around the ransacked, blood covered kitchen, her eyes had fixed themselves on the red hand prints on the sunny yellow walls. All she had been able to think in her childlike mind was that Mommy and Daddy would be angry with her if she had painted on the walls.

Callie grabbed her wildly tumbling stomach, covering her mouth with a shaking hand to hold back the bile. She dropped to her knees when her wobbly legs would no longer hold her up. Tears slid from her eyes and streaked down her cheeks to wet her hand. How long had it taken for her to understand what had really happened to her parents? When the truth had sunk in that her parents had been killed, she still did not understand all of it because the most disturbing truth had yet to be revealed.

"I still didn't get it. I still didn't get it," she repeated. A sob that made her chest hurt escaped her. It had taken a conversation with Kei, of all people, to make her realize that her father was still alive. Somehow she had not understood that even after discovering her own immortality. She gasped when the IBMs materialized out of the black matter leaking from her body, born from the emotions she could not control.

"Did your black ghosts appear on that night too? Both of them?" Kei asked her, lightly touching her shoulder.

"Yes," she answered, leaning forward to press her forehead against the smooth wood of the cabinet door. "I think I created two at once to represent my parents. I wanted, I needed, my mommy and daddy. I...I..."

"Shhhh," he shushed her when she devolved into pitiful sniveling wails of sadness.

Callie was about to say something nasty to him for telling her to be quiet when she felt his arms encircle her shoulders in a backwards hug.

"When does it stop?" she sniffed, trying to get her runaway emotions under control.

"What?"

"The pain of being...this, of being an Ajin. We're doomed to suffer emotionally and physically always, aren't we?"

"Maybe. Maybe by staying together it won't be so bad. We can help each other through this."

"Oh, Kei, please not now," she sighed, swiping at her face with the back of her hand to wipe away the tears. "Please don't bullshit me right now and tell me what you think I want to hear."

"I'm not!" he exclaimed, reaching onto the counter for the clean dishtowel which he gave her to wipe her face. "You can make Kō a real man."

"You shithead," she laughed, throwing the towel at him. She could tell he was joking by the lilt in his voice and the sideways grin of amusement on his face. He added some much needed levity to the situation. He never ceased to amaze her. She inhaled sharply in surprise when his fingers touched her cheek and tenderly caressed her skin.

"You can help me remember that I'm still human."

"What will you two do for me, huh?" she challenged. She nervously chewed her lower lip when he leaned forward in his squatting position, almost coming nose to nose with her.

"We can keep you from falling apart when it all becomes too much for you."

Callie listened to his words, searching for sincerity in his eyes. As usual, he betrayed no emotion with those stoic maroon brown eyes. If he was acting, she did not care in this moment. She believed him because she needed to believe him.


	9. Chapter 9

Kō walked out of the bedroom searching for Callie. He could hear her crying. What had Kei done to her? Hearing their hushed voices coming from the kitchen, he pressed his back to the wall to listen. His heart ached listening to her as she struggled with the realization of her father still being alive since he was an Ajin. The thought had not occurred to her because she had not yet come to terms with her own life changing revelation. He understood that. Being hit with such shocking news made it difficult to consider all possibilities connected with it. Not to mention her parents had died so long ago, it would have taken her a little while to connect the dots but she would have done it eventually. Instead, Kei and his big brain had been there to help her figure it out. Good for him.

"You can make Kō a real man." He heard Kei tell her.

 _That son of a bitch!,_ Kō thought to himself, his fingers curling to form his hands into fists. His cheeks burned with embarrassment. First chance he got, he would kill Kei to make him pay for that. He had a few favors to return in that area anyway.

Suddenly the two people in the kitchen were both quietly murmuring in voices so low he could no longer hear them. Gathering what was left of his self-esteem, he turned the corner to confront them. What he saw made him stop abruptly. Their heads were so close he was not sure if Kei was kissing her, but it sure looked like it. Ignoring the sick feeling growing inside of him because of his churning stomach, he cleared his throat to get rid of the lump choking him and also to get their attention in the most subtle way possible.

Kei to jumped to his feet, spinning around to face him. Callie would not meet his gaze when he looked at her. Both of them looked guilty as hell. But of what?

"What's going on between you two?" Kō asked, his eyes shifting back and forth between them. Both of them avoided eye contact.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing," Callie answered, standing to her feet.

"I'm going to get the computer," Kei announced, brushing past Kō coolly on his way out of the small kitchen that had suddenly gotten a whole lot smaller.

"I really hate that guy," he mumbled under his breath.

"Clothes," Callie proclaimed, snapping her fingers.

"What?" Kō inquired, following her path to washer and dryer with his eyes. He observed her pulling out their cleaned and dried clothes that they had been wearing when they washed up on the beach. He forgot he was presently wearing nothing but a towel. "Oh, clothes."

"Let me find your jeans and shirt," she sniffed, tossing the clothes on top of the dryer to separate them.

"Are you all right?" he asked her when she used the hem of her shirt to wipe away fresh tears. For a second he could see her flat, tanned belly before she dropped her shirt. Unfortunately, he was still too upset by what he had seen when he walked into the kitchen to be excited by catching the unexpected flash of her smoothly muscled abs. "What did Kei mean when he said you would be responsible for making me a real man?"

"Oh, god!" she squeaked, whirling around to stare at him with huge round eyes. "You heard that?"

"Yeah. What was he talking about?" he pressed her for an answer.

"He was just being an asshole. You know how he can be," she laughed joylessly, her face darkening to a rosy red color all the way down her neck. She held out his jeans and yellow t-shirt to him.

"I know how he can be, but I don't know how you can be yet. Were you making fun of me?"

"No! I would never - "

"I hope not," he interrupted her, taking the clothes from her. Turning on his heel, he took one step toward the bedroom he and Kei were supposed to be sharing. Kei crossed his path to sit down at the short table in the living room where he opened the laptop. The anger that flared inside of him gave him the courage he needed to make a confession to Callie. It may be too soon to tell her what he was feeling, and she may laugh at him, but he was willing to risk it. Turning back around to face her, he blurted, "I really like you, Callie."

"O-okay," she stammered.

"Idiot," Kei muttered from the living room. "You're an idiot, Kō."

"Shut up!" Kō and Callie bellowed at him in chorus. They looked at each other and laughed; something they both desperately needed at the moment. Things had gotten uncomfortably serious.

"There's one more thing I want to ask you. You too, jerk off!" he yelled toward Kei. "I want the two of you to teach me how to make and use a black ghost."

"You don't know how?" Callie inquired, her eyes blinking at him in confusion.

"Not all Ajins have them. The ones who can create and use IBMs are called variants," Kei informed him.

"Did you just look that up?" Kō asked.

"Yes!" came the candid answer.

Callie rolled her eyes, shaking her head. Kō smiled at her. He wondered if she sometimes felt like a mom with two irritating children who didn't know how to stop fighting. He hoped she did not think of him as a child. Maybe she didn't since she did not laugh at his heartfelt confession. Or she was too kind and thoughtful to do so right in his face.

"Get dressed, and we'll go for a walk," she suggested.

"Give me a sec," he said, backing out of the kitchen. _Stay calm, stay calm,_ he repeated to himself with each step, forcing himself to walk slowly the room when he actually wanted to run to get there as fast as possible.

Kō found Callie smoking a cigarette while patiently waiting for him on the porch.

"Ready?" she asked, dropping the cigarette into the empty bottle of water she held in her hand.

"Yeah."

Callie headed for the area covered with trees that would shade them from the hot afternoon sun. Kō followed her walking a few steps behind her. It did not bother him at all to allow her be a couple of paces ahead of him. He liked watching her move. Her steps were light and graceful. She hopped over a half rotted log with ease. He nearly tripped and fell flat on his face when his toe caught on the knot that was sticking up above the rest of the decomposing tree. Without glimpsing back at him or saying a word, she sat down under one of the trees with low hanging limbs thickly covered with leaves to offer them plenty of cool shade.

"Why do you smoke so much?" he questioned her, taking a seat beside her to lean against the trunk of the tree.

"I started when my grandmother died. After the funeral, I was standing by the grave while they filled it up with the dirt. One of the workmen offered me a cigarette. I coughed so hard I thought I'd hack up a lung," she chuckled lightly at the memory. "They all laughed at me which made me start laughing. We sat down and had a few drinks, passing around the bottle one of the guys had in his pocket. We smoked a few more cigarettes until I got the hang of it. I told them all about my grandmother, the woman who meant everything to me and raised me. I laughed some more. I cried a lot. They me helped through the second toughest time in my life. As weird as it sounds, I associated smoking with a happy memory after that."

"You have a tendency to form a bond quickly with strangers, don't you?"

"Hm, I suppose I do. I guess it's because I'm a nurse. I have to establish a relationship quite quickly to take care of a patient properly. Treating the sick and hurting, the dying, requires more than medical knowledge. To do it, and do it well, to treat the patient physically and mentally, you have to give them a piece of yourself, your heart," she explained, staring at her fingers that she laced and unlaced in her lap. "Tell me something about yourself. Is anyone missing you? Parents, grandparents, a girlfriend?"

"No. I lived alone. I've been my own for quite a while. I don't have a girlfriend," he admitted, looking away from her after their eyes met. "I'm twenty, and I've never even been on a date."

"What? Wait...you're how old?" she asked him, squinting her eyes at him in disbelief.

Kō figured that Callie had assumed he was younger than Kei, probably guessing his age to be fifteen or sixteen. She was not the first one to think he was younger. People in his apartment complex had asked him all the time where his parents were.

"I know I don't look it or act it, but I assure you, I'm twenty. Kei acts like a grumpy old man and treats me like a stupid kid which makes me feel like I'm only fifteen," he murmured, scratching the back of his head self-consciously.

"It's not a bad thing that you look younger. I'll admit I was thrown off myself. I thought you were only sixteen. Sorry about that."

"I'm used to it."

"How did you find out that you were an Ajin?"

"I'd really rather not say," he sighed not wanting to tell her or anyone. It was too humiliating to admit.

"Please, tell me," she pleaded, taking his hands in hers. "It will be just between us. I won't tell Kei."

Kō's resolve started to dissolve the moment she grasped his hands. When he looked into her eyes, his inability to tell her no disappeared completely.

"You better not tell him," he warned her sternly, shaking his finger in her face.

"I swear," she promised. She dragged her fingers across her lips like she was zipping them shut, then pretended to be locking an invisible lock before throwing the nonexistent key over her shoulder. "It's our secret."

 _Our_ secret. He liked the sound of that. Placing his open palms over the backs of her hands, he held her hands securely while pulling her closer to him. There was no need to whisper since it was just the two of them out here in the woods. But then again, Kei could appear at any time for no reason at all. However, Kei's random appearances were hardly ever for no reason. They were usually to catch him unawares and attack him.

"I was standing on top of my apartment building. I was going to jump. I wanted to kill myself," he confided, looking down at their hands to avoid her intent gaze. "I changed my mind. I got scared staring down at the ground so far below. When I turned to step off of the ledge, my foot slipped, and I fell." He gradually raised his eyes to meet hers. His lips slid into a self-mocking sideways grin. "I decided to _not_ to kill myself, and I fell off of the fucking building. What kind of idiot does that? I lost the nerve to kill myself and accidentally died. It's all so stupid. I'm so stupid."

"Kō, stop. Stop talking about yourself like that," she chided him gently, pulling one hand free from his to cup his cheek. "If that hadn't happened, you never would have known you were an Ajin."

"I think my life would have been better if I hadn't," he said, inclining his head to press his forehead to hers. "Although it wasn't that great to begin with."

"But then you never would have met me," she pointed out with a self-deprecating chuckle that told him she was not being conceited.

"That's true. I'm glad I met you. You're an amazing person." A thousand butterflies took flight in his belly when the tip of her nose brushed across his. "You didn't even make fun of me for tripping over that log. Kei would have."

"We just need to work on your balance. Gymnastics and yoga helped me a lot. I was such a klutzy child, I'd trip over thin air," she giggled. "And I'm not Kei."

"Thank the gods for that," he rejoined, blowing out an exaggerated sigh of relief. She laughed again, that melodious sound that poured across his frazzled nerves like healing oil soothing them. The sound made him happy too. "I like your laugh."

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid,_ Kō berated himself when he felt her pull away. He dropped his chin to his chest to hide his face from her so that she would not see his shame. Before the embarrassment could overwhelm him, Callie placed her hands on either side of his face to tilt his chin up so that he was looking into her eyes. Every nerve in his body tingled when her eyes held his with a long, earnest expression that made him feel uncomfortable. Of all the things he wanted to see in her eyes, pity was not one of them.

"You're very sweet. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself," she told him, breaking eye contact briefly. Sadness had seeped into her brown eyes when they returned to his. "Someone will fall head over heels for you one of these days. It will the best day of your life and hers."

"Are you saying that person isn't you?" he asked, placing his hands over hers that were on his face.

"Most likely not," she responded regretfully. "I'm sorry."

"How do you know?" he countered, trying not to sound like an argumentative child. "I want to get to know you better. And I want you to get to know me. I think you can feel the same way about me if you give me a chance. Just give me one chance, that's all I ask."

"Kō, I may be the woman you think you want, but I'm definitely not what you need."

"Why don't you let me decide what I need?"

"All right. One chance," she agreed, leaning forward.

Kō closed his eyes in anticipation of a kiss. He got one but not the kind he was expecting. Her lips brushed his forehead exactly like they had when he had been falling asleep in her bed. Well, it would have to do. It was still a kiss. And she did say she would give him a chance.


	10. Chapter 10

Kō had gone out early to exercise leaving Callie asleep in her room and Kei on the computer in the living room. Kei had been on that computer busily typing away since yesterday. He wondered if the man obsessed with his search had slept at all. Probably not because he had been able to sleep on the futon in the guest bedroom last night instead of the Tatami mat covered living room floor. Since the emotionless machine was so focused on finding information, he was not concerned about anything happening to Callie while he was gone.

Using a low hanging branch of a tree as makeshift workout equipment, Kō added pull ups to his routine of push ups and sit ups. He forced himself to keep moving until he could no longer hold onto the branch, dropping to the ground to collapse into a sore, panting heap. Laying flat out on his back, he closed his eyes to savor the cool breeze blowing across his sweat dampened skin.

"Are you all right?"

Kō gasped, jerking to an upright sitting position. Hearing her voice had startled him. He looked up to see Callie leaning over him with a water bottle extended toward him.

"I'm sure you need this," she said, waiting for him to take the bottle.

His heart fluttered when she smiled at him exposing a mouthful of straight white teeth. She looked so pretty with her tanned cheeks lightly blushed from running to find him. He had chosen to go to the tree covered area at the edge of the thick forest not only for the shade but because that was where they had first shared a sincere moment together. Confessing his secret about his first death had brought him closer to her and her telling him a bit about her past had strengthened that bond in return. At least he hoped so.

"Thank you," he panted, taking the bottle from her.

The condensation that had formed on the outside of the bottle dripped down onto his hot skin that was slick with sweat. Quickly unscrewing the cap, he gulped down its cold contents. The water quenched the fire in his throat and sated his thirst. He remained sitting on the ground still breathing hard. His eyes followed her when she walked over to the fallen tree nearby. Leaning back on his hands, he watched her when she hopped up onto the log. Her tiny red yoga shorts displayed her fantastic legs and accentuated her derriere as if he needed his attention brought to it by the tight piece of clothing. She had worn a black sports bra with no shirt over it.

Callie raised her hands above her head, gradually bending backwards into a back bend until her hands pressed flat to the rough bark of the tree under her. Her feet lifted from the log, rising into the air. It was an amazing show of strength and grace as she slowly brought herself into a handstand position. Turning on her hands until her backside was toward him, she separated her legs, her body forming a t-shape on the tree she was using as a balance beam. Keeping her movements measured, she tucked her behind under to roll her body downward until she was holding herself up on her hands, her legs on each side of her arms forming a V. Maintaining her deliberate pace, she once again raised herself into a handstand, holding her body in a straight line with all of her weight balanced on her hands. Suddenly she lowered her feet to the log, vaulting her body forward into a cartwheel, then a back handspring. Her finishing move that followed was a no hands back handspring that ejected her body from the log for her to land on the ground on both of her feet with her hands raised above her headlike a professional gymnast .

Kō clapped and whistled, an ecstastic crowd of one, witnessing a seasoned gymnast at the top of her game. His heart beat faster to see the blush on her face darkening to a red and spreading across her tanned cheeks to creep down her neck.

"That was amazing! Were you a professional gymnast?" he asked, standing up to walk over to her when she sat down on her balance beam provided by nature.

"No. Only in high school," she answered, giving him a shy, embarrassed smile. "I've always loved it though."

Kō's belly flipped and flopped, turning inelegant somersaults in response to her sheepish smile. He liked seeing her like this because he did not feel so intimidated by her. Although her confidence had appealed to him, it was nice to see that she was not a stiff and unbreakable stone wall of emotion, or rather lack thereof, like other people who knew.

"Did you think about becoming a professional? You're really good," he complimented, grinning broadly when she looked away. He noticed that she began to chew on her thumb nervously. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"Oh, I was never good enough to be a professional. I was barely good enough to compete at high school meets. I did okay at competitions, winning several third place awards and a second place ribbon or two, but never first," she murmured, pushing away a lock of hair that had freed itself from her ponytail. "It was something I enjoyed and loved for physical activity. But being a gymnast was never what I really wanted to do with my life anyway."

"Being a nurse? That's what you really wanted to do with your life?" he questioned her. Allowing his body to act before thinking, he reached out to push the stubborn hair behind her ear. Becoming aware of his action, he dropped his hand feeling his face heat up with embarrassment.

"Yeah, it is," she replied, her voice low. "After seeing my grandmother suffer for so many years, not only with physical ailments but her emotional pain, all I ever wanted to do was help people. To ease their suffering."

Kō's eyes drifted to her lips. Her lips were a bit on the small side. The top lip was smaller than the bottom and formed like a bow tie in the middle with two distinct points at the top. Her lower lip was a little fuller; just enough to make it enticing for a kiss. Biting his lower lip, he resisted the urge to kiss her while the silence stretched between them forming a lull in the conversation that was only slightly uncomfortable.

"You have amazing balance. You move so beautifully. Sometimes I can barely walk a straight line without tripping. Well, you've seen it happen." He laughed lightly, although his clumsiness had always been a major source of humiliation for him. Hell, his being an insanely big klutz had caused him to accidentally kill himself. He rubbed that back of his neck self-consciously turning his face to the sky. Maybe she would believe his redness was caused by a sunburn.

"It looks like you have plenty of strength," she said, reaching out to touch his shoulder.

Kō held his breath when her fingers glided down his arm to gently squeeze his bicep. Her fingertips were smooth like silk sliding over his skin. He exhaled shakily when her palm pressed to the backside of his arm, his triceps flexing against it. All of the push ups he had been doing lately developed those muscles giving them a satisfying bulge.

"Your core looks strong too," she commented, allowing her fingers to meander over his abdomen that was beginning to develop the definition of the much sought after six pack.

"Callie," he gasped, grabbing her wrist as she created a ticklish trail up the middle of his belly.

"I-I'm s-sorry!" she stammered, snatching her hand away. Her face turned such a dark red it looked purple. Momentarily he feared she might faint, then she began to stammer. "I-I forgot that I'm not examining a patient. I shouldn't have done that. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. Really. It...it tickled...that's all," he said in an attempt to dispel her apparent unrelenting case of awkwardness. He could definitely relate. "What was that you were saying?"

"All you need to do is improve your overall stability. Develop your balance to go with your strength," she explained.

"I don't understand," he mumbled, feeling stupid. It seemed like simple concept, but he wasn't comprehending it.

"Here," Callie rejoined as if sensing his confusion. She hopped off the log, taking him by the wrist to pull him into the shady clearing between the trees. "It will be easier to show you what I mean."

That was one more trait to add to the ever lengthening list of things he liked about her. She seemed to be able to tell when he was floundering, lost in his own ignorance or drowning in unease. She inevitably did something to make it all go away without making him feel any dumber than he already did.

Kō compliantly allowed her to position him a few feet in front of her, putting his arms down by his sides. His eyes focused on the landscape in front of him while she moved around behind him. He jumped when he felt her hands gripping his waist. She was so strong. Although she was small and shorter than him by several inches, she had a commanding presence. Her forcefulness excited him in a way he did not expect.

"Stand tall and straight," she ordered him, sliding her hand up his back like she was testing the vertical line of his spine to ensure it was perfectly aligned.

Kō shivered with excitement from the touch of her hand that made his whole body tingle like she had given him an electrical shock. He couldn't help it. Everything about her effected him on a physical and visceral level making it difficult for him to control his body's response.

"Move your feet apart. About shoulder width," she coached him, prodding his ankles with her bare toes to prompt him to spread his legs a little wider. Callie had not worn shoes to come out to him. As a matter of fact, he had not seen her wearing shoes since the first time he had laid eyes on her.

Callie continued to nudge and poke with her hands as well as her feet to prepare him. He had no idea what she was getting ready to do to him, but he was looking forward to it. There was something decidedly stimulating, arousing in a sexual way about what she was doing to him presently. The fact he was getting turned on by such meaningless actions made him feel like some kind of pervert. But he couldn't help himself. He liked her. He liked everything about her.

Kō concentrated on her face when she walked around to stand in front of him. He watched her as she took the same stance in front of him; standing with her feet positioned directly under shoulders forming a straight line between them with her arms by her sides. When she closed her eyes, inhaling a deep breath, he kept his eyes open to continue to observe her.

"This is called mountain pose in yoga. It helps develop stability," she explained, placing her palms against her belly.

Kō noted that her abdomen was flat, the muscles tight like a drum underneath, without the striations of the muscles showing under her skin. To him that was more attractive than a hard, muscular abdomen divided into the distinct muscle groups.

"Close your eyes. Breath in deeply."

Kō stared at her while she inhaled such a deep breath through her nose that it made a sucking sound. Her face was relaxed, content almost, with a hint of a smile at the corners of her mouth. She was such a gorgeous creature to behold. Doing as she had ordered him, he closed his eyes and inhaled.

"Imagine yourself as a mountain. Tall. Stable. Firmly attached to the earth," she murmured.

Instead, he was thinking about something long and hard that throbbed with a fierce ache. She was torturing him unintentionally.

"Find your balance. Feel the stability. You are a mountain. Steady. Strong. Immovable," she said in a pleasant, lilting voice that was slightly hypnotic.

"Shit," he mumbled when he felt her hand push lightly against his chest. His shoulder moved backwards slightly, but he did not sway or falter.

"Very good," she complimented him.

Kō smiled happily. She had sounded extremely pleased. Goose bumps erupted over his entire body despite the heat of the day. He stiffened his stance in expectation of another shove to assess his balance. This time she used greater force, pressing her hands to his shoulder blades to push him forward. He bent at the waist, leaning forward slightly to absorb the force and to compensate for the shift in his center of gravity before standing back up straight. His feet had remained planted firmly on the ground without moving at all.

"Fantastic!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands lightly. "Keep your mind centered as well as your body."

For several long minutes nothing happened. He could _feel_ her circling him, eyeballing him, waiting for the right moment to strike and catch him off guard. Then it happened. She shoved him hard with her palms pressed to his chest. He grabbed her wrists, pulling her hands from his chest. To counter her blow, he thrust his upper body forward using his legs to shift his weight, pushing her away from him.

"Wow! This is incredible! Hey - WHOA!" he yelled in surprise when she lunged at him and pushed with twice the ferocity as before. He toppled backwards, his arms enclosing her waist. If he was going down this time, he was taking her with him.

Callie cried out when her forehead banged into his chin when they hit the ground. Kō saw white fireworks burst into star shapes in front of his eyes like he had when his chin hit the porch.

"Oh, my god! Your head is as hard as a wooden plank!" he cried out, rubbing his aching chin.

"Thank goodness your cut healed up. I'm sure that would have split it back open," she said, massaging her sore forehead as a headache blossomed behind her eyes. "Ow! Oh, god, that hurts."

"Are you all right?" His hands went to her face, holding it between his hands.

"I'm fine," she assured him, laughing lightly while massaging her forehead with her fingertips. "I think we should go back to the house. I need water. And pain reliever for this headache. Ow!"

Kō held her securely to his chest with one arm while pulling her legs to the side with the other as he sat up. He paused for a moment when she was sitting in his lap, taking advantage of the moment to simply hold her in his arms.

"Kō," she called sweetly, her voice making his heart beat faster.

"What is it? Are you all right? Your head - "

"I told you, I'm fine." Her eyes held his, gazing at him so intently that he began to shift anxiously under her.

"Wh-what is it?" he asked, his eyes lowered from hers unable to bear her intense stare. "What have I done wrong?"

"Absolutely nothing. I fear I may be about to do something wrong."

"What do you - " Before he could finish his question, her mouth collided with his, cutting off the last word. Her lips were soft and gentle, patiently waiting for him to respond to the kiss. Unfortunately, he had no idea what to do. She saved him from himself by continuing to pursue the kiss she initiated, pressing her lips more firmly to his before breaking contact.

"I stole your first kiss," she whispered, sliding her arms around his neck.

From the seductive tone of her voice, he could tell she regretted nothing. Neither did he.

"My first kiss," he murmured, gradually opening his eyes to see her studying his face. "You can't steal what is willingly given."

"Oh, that was poetic. I like that." Her fingers slid along his jaw, bringing his mouth within tempting proximity of hers.

After wavering momentarily with indecision, he inclined his head toward hers to claim her lips. Being unsure of himself, he kept the kiss brief and innocent like the one she had given him.

"I like that too," she whispered, licking her lips.

A jolt of arousal punched him in the gut like a fist making him feel slightly nauseated.

"Want me to do it again?" he asked hopefully, his lips brushing hers.

"Maybe later," she responded unexpectedly causing him to groan with disappointment. "We should get back to the house before getting dehydrated."

"I guess you're right."


	11. Chapter 11

Callie held Kō's hand as they walked back to the house. It had been several years since she had enjoyed a pure, honest romance, and she didn't want to do anything to mess it up. The last sweet, slow moving relationship she had experienced had been around the age of sixteen. Then her life was put on fast forward. There was no time to take things slow when she put herself on a fast track for securing a better future for her grandmother and herself. In retrospect, for the biggest part it had all worked out grandly, and she would be deemed a fabulous success. Her decisions had put her on the exact path she needed to be on to accomplish her momentous goals. Graduating from high school at an early age, going straight into nursing school thereafter, and then to also graduate at an accelerated pace from university into addition garnering the number one spot her class had been the best strategic moves she had ever made in this game called life.

However, In the arena of love, she had been a total loser - a tragic failure in every way. The heightened pace at which things were progressing with Kō was not unusual for her. She knew she should be keeping things slow and low key. But he was so sincere and honest with his emotions, making it easy for her to want to jump into love with both feet and go in over her head. She had told him that she was not the one for him in hopes of making him back off, yet he seemed determine to pursue a romantic relationship with her. She did not want to hurt him. Her relationships had a tendency to be like fireworks; they burned hot and fast, exploding into something beautiful and amazing . Also like fireworks, they could be dangerous and had the possibility of misfiring which caused everyone to get burned.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Kō asked her, pulling her to a stop at the bottom of the stairs that led up to the front porch.

"I'm okay. Why?" she inquired, immediately sensing the tenseness in her forehead. She raised her eyebrows to loosen the tension drawing them together over her nose.

"You just look sad. And a little angry," he admitted.

"I was just squinting because of the sun. Let's go inside," she suggested, twisting her wrist free of his grip to jog up the steps into the house.

Walking through the door, Callie was hit by a wall of heat. She glanced at Kei who was sitting cross legged on the floor typing on the keyboard like a madman while sweat poured down his face. The collar of his red t-shirt was soaked.

"It's like a freaking oven in here!" Kō exclaimed, fanning himself with his hand.

Callie kept her mouth shut because she was afraid of what obscenities might fly out. It was a damn miracle that the computer had not overheated and shut down. She rushed around the house, opening the doors to allow the winds coming from the sea to blow through the house. Turning on the fans also helped dispel the intense heat. Bringing the oscillating fan from her bedroom, she sat it down by the table and positioned it to blow directly on Kei and computer. If he suffered a heat stroke, she could always kill him so he would recover. The thought made her lips tilt into a sinister smirk. She would be willing to make an exception to her ingrained belief of preserving life at all cost for him and only him. It would be satisfying in a horrible way to murder that little shit. The computer, on the other hand, would be a little more difficult to salvage and get back to normal.

In the meantime, Kō had gone to the refrigerator to retrieve cold bottles of water for all of them. He gave her one first, then one to Kei, before opening his own to drink it.

Callie kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."

"I see you two have gotten closer. Still a virgin, Kō?" Kei inquired without missing a keystroke while typing.

"Well, I see you're definitely still an asshole, Kei," he retorted hotly.

Callie snorted in an effort to hide her amusement but failed. She covered her mouth with her hand yet could not prevent the laughter from bubbling out. They were both correct on each account. Kō's virtue was still intact and Kei was still, well, being himself. Her eyes slid over Kō's lightly tanned physique, examining the ripples of the burgeoning musculature that made her shiver unexpectedly with a rush of desire. Suddenly heat engulfed her so rapidly she feared she might faint. Clearing her throat and finding no relief from the uncomfortable, choking sensation, she gulped down the bottle of water she was holding in her hand.

"Have you made any progress on finding an ally?" Callie asked when she was able to find her voice again. "Or ten?"

"I found a video of Satō revealing his latest plan of attack. He has a hit list containing eleven names, leaders of organizations that has anything to do with oppressing Ajins. The names were given to him by Tanaka. I'm going through the list now to find one who could be a possible candidate," he explained while continuing to tap the computer keys.

"Tanaka could be considered Satō's second in command. I'm sure you've seen the video of the Ajin being shot in the head at point blank range," Kō said, helpfully providing information although she had not asked a question. His willingness to offer unsolicited information could be a problem in the future if this was a habit of his.

Callie had seen that video. As a matter of fact, when she had begun her research on Ajins, it was the very first thing she had come across. Seeing that video had terrified her and disturbed so deeply she had barely been able to bear it. After watching it several times in a row, she had walked away from her computer to take several straight shots of whiskey to numb her brain. She had needed it all to stop before she picked up a gun and blew her brains out to make it stop. Besides, she would have just woken up again for the process to start all over. She laughed bitterly at the remembrance.

"So that was him, huh?" she muttered, thinking about the chilled white wine in the fridge that would be great right about now. "And he's one of grandfather's closest comrades. I suppose that's fitting."

"I'm sure your grandfather sought him out. Just like he did me," Kei added under his breath as if ashamed of that fact.

"I met him too," Kō volunteered, physically shrinking back from her when her head snapped in his direction. "I had answered the call he had made to Ajins to join him, to fight those who want to capture us, to experiment on us...to find a way to kill us." He turned his back to her, walking away a few steps. "But I didn't like how he wanted to go about it. I didn't agree with him. He needs to be stopped. Then I somehow found this guy here." He jerked his chin toward Kei. "I've told you what happened after that."

Callie swung her eyes toward Kei. She studied the thin, pale young man noting how frail he looked. He would be completely useless in a physical fight. Things were bound to get physical at some point. Was she expected to be his bodyguard? "You know, you really should start working out a bit. I could teach you a few basic self-defense moves."

"No, thanks," he responded with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I provide the intelligence. Kō will do the grunt work and perhaps provide a modicum of protection. And you - "

Callie raised an eyebrow, her eyes meeting his when he looked up from the computer. "And me? What am I in all of this?"

"You are a combination of both brains and brawn. You possess both intelligence and physical strength. You're the bridge between Kō and myself that will hold us all together."

"Good answer," she commended him, giving him a smile. She walked to the kitchen to begin preparing lunch. "How does a green salad and cold noodles sound for lunch?"

"Great! Need help?" Kō asked eagerly, following her into the kitchen.

"Why don't you go take a shower?" she suggested, reaching into the refrigerator for one of the bottles of wine. She gasped when Kō's hand surrounded hers that was wrapped around the neck of the bottle.

"Do you really need this?"

"Does it matter? It's just a drink. Besides, it won't - "

"Yeah, I know," he interrupted, letting her hand go and stepping away from her. "It won't kill you. Aren't there other ways to ease the pain?"

Callie set the bottle down on the counter keeping her back to him. There were definitely other ways to numb the pain. Unfortunately, those ways sometimes extended beyond wreaking havoc on the body and boiled over into creating chaos with the emotions. A good orgasm or two was always helpful for relieving stress and finding a brief respite from the turmoil. But so was drowning her sorrows in the bottom of a glass of alcohol. She had no desire to toy with his emotions, or her own, by toying with his body.

"Callie?"

"Of course there are other ways. But I don't think you're ready for them. Not yet."

"I'm not a child," he snapped defensively.

"In some ways you are," she countered, pouring herself a glass of wine. "I don't want to hurt you."

"I'm willing to take a chance."

"What if I'm not?" She raised the glass to her lips, taking a sip before pivoting on the ball of her foot to face him. "Be patient. We have plenty of time. Let things happen as they will. Don't try to force it. You'll only succeed in pushing me away."

"You seemed ready enough when you kissed me," he retorted, taking the wine glass out of her hand. He drank the contents in one big gulp keeping his eyes locked on hers.

"What are you doing?" she asked him, sucking in a deep breath when he reached around her to set the glass on the counter.

"Taking a chance," he answered, smashing his lips against hers.

Callie clutched the edge of the counter behind her while he ravaged her mouth with a vehement kiss. If she touched him, she feared she would be doomed, that she would give into the urge that seized her body the first time she felt his soft lips under hers. When his lips lifted from hers, she kept her eyes closed while he hovered above her. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from reacting to the gentle stroking of his fingertips across her cheek.

"I'm not so sure that we have all the time in the world. Maybe we don't have a true immortality. What if it's like a cat having nine lives?" Kō presented the rhetorical question and paused as if waiting for her to answer.

"Cats don't actually have nine lives," she replied with a dismissive chuckle.

"I know that," he hissed, slamming his hand down on the counter behind her. "What if we're given a certain number of lives and that's it? We use them up and they're gone. When we die that tenth time, we're dead for good."

He had posed a good question that made her queasy when she considered the far reaching ramifications. What if their lives were finite after all? Would the number of lives differ from Ajin to Ajin or would it be the same amount for all? Would they somehow know if they were getting to the end of their lives? If they were truly immortal, were their other ways to kill them? In all of the experimentation on Ajins, had they found a way to kill one permanently? The questions tumbled one upon another, coming faster and faster until her head throbbed.

"Are you all right?" Kō asked her when she massaged her temples.

"Your question brings up so many others. So many we don't have the answers to. I just don't know what to think right now. We really don't know anything about what we are...about being Ajins. I'm..." Her voice broke and her words trailed off into nothingness. She leaned into him, pressing her cheek to his chest. A sigh passed through her parted lips when he put his arms around her to hold her. She sank into his arms, abandoning herself to his comforting embrace.

"Scared? Me too," he confessed, gathering her more securely into his arms. "But I'm not as afraid when I'm with you."


	12. Chapter 12

Callie went to take a shower while Kō was doing the dishes. Kei was still at the computer. As she stood under the cool water, allowing it to whisk away the heat and grime from her skin, she purposed in her mind to take the computer away from him. He had been on that thing too damn long, and he needed sleep. He also needed to get out in the sun and get moving; to do something, anything, for physical activity. She worried about him, although she wasn't sure why. He damn sure didn't worry about anyone else.

When her shower was done and she was sufficiently dry, she hurriedly dressed before the humidity could form a layer of dampness on her skin. This oppressive heat and humidity reminded her of the summers at home. Suddenly the thought struck her that she might never go home again. There was a definite possibility that she could die here. And by the hands of her own grandfather. She had not come here to find him in hopes of having a reunion filled with happy tears and heartfelt hugs. Now that she considered her motives more thoughtfully, she wasn't sure what she had been expecting by coming here to find him.

A knock on the bathroom door surprised her causing her to nearly jump out of her skin.

"Are you okay in there?" Kō called.

"I'm fine," she responded a bit breathily, pressing her hand to her chest as if to hold her rapidly thumping heart inside before it broke through her ribcage.

"Are you dressed?"

"Yes."

"Aw, dammit," he moaned with disappointment.

"You can come in, you little pervert," she laughed lightly, pulling a comb through her wet hair to detangle it.

Kō opened the door and entered without hesitation. He took off his shirt and threw it on the floor. His hands stopped moving after unbuttoning his khaki shorts. The shorts slid down until the only thing holding them up was his prominent hip bones. Her eyes followed the delectable V that disappeared into his shorts that were barely hanging on to his hips to keep him covered. She wanted to assume he was preparing to take a shower. The way his eyes held fast to her face, watching her curious eyes wander over his body, told her otherwise.

"Are you trying to tempt me?" she asked, leaning against the sink behind her.

"Is it working?" he questioned her, stepping toward her.

"I would have expected you to be a whole lot more awkward at the whole seduction thing." When he lowered his mouth toward hers, Callie could smell the sickeningly sweet scent of alcohol. "Ah, you've been into the wine again haven't you? I suppose we all need a little liquid courage sometimes."

"Is that why you drink so much? Because you're afraid?" His fingers combed through her wet hair to push it out of her face.

"Sometimes it's because I'm afraid. Mostly I drink to forget. To dull the pain." Her lips brushed across his lightly when he lowered his face closer to hers.

"I can help with that. I can help you forget, just for a little while, if you'll let me." His fingers pushed through her hair until his hand cupped the back of her head. Obviously he was not going to let her get away from his kiss.

"Kō," she whispered, accepting his gentle kiss. He was making it nearly impossible for her to resist him. When the tip of his tongue touched her lower lip, she pulled away. If she allowed him to deepen the kiss, she would be done for. She wanted it. She wanted him, but she had to say no. She could not give into temptation yet. It was too soon. "You should take your shower."

"But - " He tried to kiss her again, but she turned her head and his kiss landed innocently on her cheek.

"Not yet. Please...I just need a little more time."

"Okay." He immediately pulled away from her and turned his back on her.

For a moment, Callie stared at his back. He had a nice shape with broad shoulders that tapered down to a narrow waist. The muscles on his back flexed with each small movement. The exercise had been paying off. When the metallic click of his zipper sliding down reached her ears, she turned away quickly before his shorts dropped to the floor. She hurried through the door, closing it behind her without turning around should she would not accidentally see his naked backside.

Callie found the half finished bottle of wine on the kitchen counter. Since it was almost room temperature, she filled a glass with ice and poured the warmed white wine over the cubes to cool it back off. It wasn't elegant or appropriate but at the moment she didn't much care for proper wine etiquette. Taking the glass with her, she went to the living room to check on Kei.

Kei was sound asleep. At some point, he had simply leaned forward, folding his arm under his head to act as a makeshift pillow, when exhaustion overwhelmed him. He had probably intended to rest his eyes for just a little while but had fallen sound asleep instead. His body had finally made him take a rest whether he wanted it or not. His back and neck would be killing him when he woke up even if he only slept for an hour. From the sound of his deep, relaxed breathing, it would be quite a few hours before he awakened. The boy would be stiff and experiencing terrible pain when he woke up.

"Ah, dammit," she grumbled, finding herself unable to leave him that way.

Callie went over to him, kneeling down beside his sleeping form. Grabbing one of the cushions on the floor used for sitting, she put it behind him for a more comfortable place to lay his head. Carefully pulling him to an upright position, she put her arms around him shoulders as if embracing him before slowly lowering him onto his back and positioning his head on the cushion. For a moment, she stared down at him. Like most children, he looked adorable and harmless while sleeping. But he was no child. And far from harmless. Her fingers glided over his head full of short hair that was silky under her fingertips. She pushed at his fringy bangs that had grown and grazed the tops of his eyebrows.

"Who else hurt you? Hm? Why are you the way you are?"

She had seen this too many times before in her history of being a nurse. There was no way he had gotten this cold-hearted, this cruel, from being tortured. This degree of self-isolation and deadening of the emotions took time, many years, to accomplish. He had closed himself off from feeling anything for anyone long before his capture and torture. She would never know what really happened, nor did she care honestly because it would not change him. Besides, she would never ask because he was not the type to talk about his feelings. He would never allow someone in to know the real him. Perhaps there was nothing more to know, no real mystery to uncover. Somethings just are what they are and nothing else.

Callie sat down on the floor beside his body that curled up onto his side around her. She pulled the computer across the table to put it in front of her. Taking a long sip of her watered down but cold wine, she examined the image on the screen; a paused video of Satō holding up the list of men he intended to kill. There were three other tabs open. The first was an employee page from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. Yū Tosaki. Was this the man he had chosen to approach as an ally? She stared at the picture of the man with silver hair and eyes of an indeterminate color behind rectangular lenses of thin black wire framed glasses. He had a distinctive black mole to the lower left of his bottom lip. How unusual for a man to have beauty mark. But he had a hard, frigid look in his eyes that she did not like. She glanced down at the young man beside her who was sound asleep. He had that same expression, or lack thereof, in his eyes. She clicked on another tab. It belonged to a hospital: a research hospital associated with the local Medical University in Matsuyama. The page contained detailed layouts, including blueprints, of each of the four floors of the hospital.

"Oh, my god," she gasped upon seeing the last page he had been viewing. The webpage was from the confidential employee files of the hospital where she had worked. Her photo, the same one on her identification tag she had worn, was in the top left hand corner. The rest of the page was filled with her personal information from her name to the schools she attended. The commendations she had received while working there were listed on the page as well. He knew everything about her career, intimate details about her, and most of her life in general. Somehow, that made her feel weirdly violated.

Kei was a smart kid to be able hack into so many heavily laden security systems like those of hospital websites and the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. However, her admiration for his mental fortitude did not outweigh her anger with him for nosing into her life. He could have just asked her whatever he wanted to know. But that would have been far too personal to do face to face. He would have had to pretend he actually cared about her, just for a little bit, to get to know her. This way he only had to deal with facts without sifting through anymore emotion laden discussions about her past or her present.

"Oh, Kei, all you had to do was ask," she muttered, closing out the pages and shutting down the computer.

"He believes it is better to ask forgiveness than permission," Kō said, walking into the room. He was dressed in the sweat pants she had given him that fit him like capri length pants. Water dripped from his hair onto his torso that was shiny and slick from being wet. "But he never asks for forgiveness either."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" she muttered, putting her hand inside of his that he extended to her. She pressed her heated cheek against his damp, cool skin on his chest.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?"

"I don't know." She wiggled out of his arms under the pretense of retrieving the computer. She walked toward her room with Kō following closely behind her. She put the computer in the top drawer of the desk and locked it, putting the key in the jewelry box in the drawer of the table beside the bed.

"Nothing but sleep will happen. I promise," he swore, waiting at the door for her permission before coming inside the room.

"I believe you. Come on." She switched off the lamp on the table when he came to stand at the side of the bed.

Callie trusted him completely but not herself. Lying on her back, she folded her hands over her belly lacing her fingers together. Her eyes closed when the bed shifted underneath her while he lay down beside her. Although he was not touching her, his body heat reached out to her, warming the side of her body next to his. She willed her body to stay still, to relax. Concentrating on small groups of muscles, starting from her toes, she began to unwind the tension mounting inside of her.

"Hey, Callie?" Kō whispered into the darkness.

"Hmm?" she hummed not wanting to brought back down to earth from the floating feeling of drifting off to sleep.

"Do you know of a way to die that feels good?"

Callie's eyes flew open wide and the feeling of being drowsy instantly vanished. She could think of a few ways. As an emergency room nurse, she had seen some things - things she could never unsee no matter how much she wanted to. Some people had truly strange sexual fetishes. The phrase 'getting their freak on' had taken on a whole new meaning after she had treated a patient with a half crushed larynx and deep bruising around her neck after she had almost been choked to death by her boyfriend in the midst of an orgasm. One patient, an older gentleman in his fifties, had died by asphyxiation after requesting his lover hold a pillow over his face during his climax. The choking fetishists believed that being on the brink of death heightened the pleasure. She was in no mood to explore violent and lethal fetishes tonight to help him discover if he could produce a black ghost.

Rolling onto her side toward him, Callie lay her leg over his and her arm across his chest to press her body against his side. Using her fingers on his chin, she turned his face toward her for a chaste kiss.

"We'll talk about that another night. Good night, Kō."

He put his arm around her shoulders to pull her in close to him, pressing her cheek to his chest over his heart. "Good night, Callie."


	13. Chapter 13

Callie awoke the next morning hot and sweaty. At some point during the night, she had rolled over onto her side away from Kō. Unwilling to sleep without her in his arms, Kō had fitted his body to hers hooking one leg over her thighs and and wrapping an arm around her torso to hold her captive so she would not try to get away from him again. Despite the heat, Callie stayed in his arms as long as she dare until she felt as if her body was melting into his. She wiggled to disengage herself from his welcome but sweaty embrace. A groan of defeat rose from her throat when her movement encouraged him to grip her body tighter.

"Kō?" she called when her attempt to scoot out of his full body grip failed.

"Huh?" he mumbled sleepily.

"I need to get up." She patted his forearm that tightened around her middle. Her bladder threatened to burst under the increased pressure of his arm. "Kō, please."

"But why? I like you being right here." He squeezed a little harder making her grunt in misery.

"I like being here too, but you're about to be swimming if you don't let me go," she warned.

"Gotcha," he rejoined, getting her drift. He immediately removed his arm and leg to relinquish his hold on her. "Is it okay if I stay in bed a while?"

"Of course!" she exclaimed, dashing for the bathroom.

Callie was too distracted by other pressing issues to notice that the house was lacking a certain constant presence. Once the morning bathroom duties were attended to including washing her hands and face, she went to the kitchen to make coffee. While waiting for the coffee to brew, she half-heartedly searched for the missing unexpected housemate, Kei.

He wasn't in the living room nor was he in the guest bedroom. Stepping out onto the porch yielded no trace of him either. If his behavior were not always highly suspect, she would find his disappearance a source of relief. However, considering his past unpredictable and murderous actions, not being able to find him made her apprehensive.

A cup of coffee or two would be required before she could bring herself to conduct a serious search for him. She found it difficult to find the wherewithal to look for someone she did not actually want to find. Returning to the porch once she poured herself a big cup of coffee with lots of cream, she sat down in the Adirondack chair to lean back and savor the sounds of the morning.

The birds chirped from their nests in the trees and the waves crashed on the sandy shore in the distance. Such fantastically relaxing sounds. She sipped her coffee and sighed, easing into her day in the most wonderful way. So far this was shaping up to be a good morning. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the sounds around her. The rasp of the dry grass waving in the breeze was like a whisper in her ear. Impatient curses issued by an enraged Kei echoed off the trees to be carried to her on that same breeze.

"Shit," she muttered, her eyes popping open. Hearing his voice again made every muscle in her body tense so powerfully that she ached all over.

Abandoning her coffee and jumping off of the porch, Callie jogged toward the steady knocking that was like an ax hitting a tree. She could hear him hollering more curse words and insults. Who was he talking to?

"No, no, NO!" Kei screamed, his voice breaking like a prepubescent boy's. "Not that one, you incredibly stupid, useless thing! That one!"

Carefully she crept up to the location where she followed his voice, peeking around a tree to see what he was doing. He was standing in the middle of the clearing, red faced, shirt off, sweating profusely, and mad as hell. In front of him, his black ghost lazily slashed at a tree accomplishing nothing more than making claw marks in the rough brown bark.

"Listen, you piece of shit! I said to cut down that tree OVER THERE!" he bellowed, pure rage twisting his smooth, boyish facial features into a frightening mask of fury.

Callie found him to be terrifying and unpredictable. It was his unpredictability that frightened her the most. At times he acted like a shy, quiet boy who just wanted to be alone. Other times he was a deceptive con man, an accomplished liar. And he was also capable of being a cold blooded killer. When he yelled at the rebellious black ghost again like the IBM was an unruly, rebellious child, she bravely stepped out from her safe hiding place behind the tree.

"You'll never get any where talking to it like that," she said, walking toward him. She took a step back from him when he jumped violently and whirled around to face her.

Kei's big, round brownish red eyes were bigger and rounder than ever from being startled. Immediately upon seeing her, they narrowed into angry little slits. "How would you know?"

"Attack," Callie murmured. Her black ghost lurched forward, launching from her body like her soul freed itself from her corporeal being.

The ghost, a short black shadow of herself, rushed forward to leg sweep the shocked boy to send him crashing down to the ground flat on his back. The solid, fully formed but faceless entity sat down on his chest like a big bird. It's arm raised above its head, claws extended, ready to deal a death blow by slashing his throat. The arm remained fixed in the air, ready to attack but not doing so because her master commanded her to be still.

Callie walked forward, her hands hands on her hips. She leaned over Kei, gazing down at his paler than usual face. His mouth was agape and his eyes bulged in terror while he stared up at that the blank face of the thing that would kill him with a single word order. As tempting as it was to give the order to cut him from ear to ear, she made the ghost vanish instead. Like a puff of black smoke, the IBM dissolved with the remnants being carried away on the salty sea air.

"I know how to use my black ghosts. And you don't."

Kei closed his eyes, panting like a dog to catch his breath that he had been holding. He could have killed himself by being so scared he forgot to breathe. Callie doubted the boy would have gotten that far with it though. He valued his life far too much to allow something so trifling to kill him. Unfortunately, her sweet Kō seemed to be the one doomed to die in stupid ways. Poor baby.

"So what do you suggest, oh wise one?" Kei questioned her with sarcasm dripping from every word. He stood to his feet to stand in front of her, glowering down at her in an attempt to intimidate her.

Callie swung her arm with lightning speed, delivering a slap with punishing force to his face. The power behind the open handed hit made him spin around once before he lost his balance and landed on his ass.

"First of all, don't be a smart ass." She extended her hand in a gesture to assist him to his feet. When he pushed her hand away, she shoved it in his face insistently. "Second, we need to establish trust between us. Whatever plan you're concocting won't work if we can't trust each other implicitly. Take my damn hand," she ordered him when he glared at her like an enraged but impotent child.

Although he had murderous tendencies that he was quick to act on, he knew she could best him a fair fight even with his black ghost. He reluctantly grasped her hand, allowing her to pull him to his feet.

"Your black ghost is a part of you. An extension of your body and mind. You should respect it and treat it kindly. Like you would want to be treated," she added, seeing an inexplicable sadness flit through his usually unemotional eyes.

The emotion, despite its brevity, had been there, and it had caught her off guard. Kei saw his opening and took it. He stepped aside so his black ghost could stab her through the upper abdomen. The mummy like being punched his entire hand into her diaphragm, thrusting through her body until his fist exited out of her back. The ghost disappeared and Kei stepped forward to grab her before her body could fall to the ground.

Callie gasped for air to no avail. The sheet of muscle that enabled her lungs to inflate and pull air into them had been destroyed. She was dying of asphyxiation because she could not breathe in.

"How did you..."she choked, leaning heavily against his narrow chest.

"I told the silly bastard to stand still and not touch you. He always does the opposite of what I say," he explained, pushing her back an arm's length so he could glare at her. He braced his hands against her shoulders to hold her up so he could watch her face while she slowly died of oxygen deprivation.

Callie summoned her black ghost with the knives for fingers. His arm and only his arm protruded from her shoulder and thrust forward, stabbing Kei through the chest and piercing his heart.

"What the hell?" he gasped in awe, staring down at the black hand imbedded in his chest.

"These black ghosts are an extension of ourselves. They should be treated accordingly. With respect, kindness, and love."

"Love," he sneered, laughing maniacally. He grunted when the black hand receded from his body, withdrawing the blades from his heart that was beginning slow with each beat.

"Love," she repeated before dying, bringing herself pleasant relief from the crushing pain in her chest.

"That's just stupid," he muttered, his eyes rolling back in his head when he succumbed to death.

Their bodies dropped together, laying side by side and facing each other. Callie awoke first releasing a scream that scorched her throat. The horror of finding herself face to face looking into the dead, unseeing eyes of Kei, her lips almost touching his, was not a good way to reenter the world of the living. She scuttled away on her hands and feet in a backwards crab crawl. The fallen log stopped her retreat, pressing against her back and offering her a resting place to catch her breath. Draping her body across the half rotted log, she sucked in noisy gulps of air relishing the ability to breathe in and out normally.

Kei blinked and sat up to glance around dazed and confused. His eyes roamed across Callie then riveted themselves to her. This time he was not angered by seeing her. He almost appeared happy that she was there.

"Will you teach me?"

"What?" she snapped, absentmindedly massaging the bare, blood covered skin showing through the large, tattered hole in her shirt. "Ugh!" she groaned, rolling her eyes in frustration. "This was my favorite shirt!"

"Will you teach me how to use my black ghost?" He crawled over to her, sitting next to her and putting his back to the log to prop himself up.

"Yeah, sure. Why not?" Her head dropped back onto the log while she breathed in deeply to fill her nose with the green, woody scent of cedar and pine. She watched a thin white cloud creep across the faded blue summer sky.

"Callie?"

"What, Kei?" She expelled an exasperated sigh like that of a long suffering mother on the verge of losing her patience with her most problematic child.

A high pitched cry of surprise was torn from her throat when Kei enclosed her shoulders with his arm and pulled her body close to his. Her eyes met his steady, intense gaze with an expression of jaded indifference. A shudder ran through her body when he used his forefinger to trace the curve of her jaw from her earlobe to her chin. Her lips quivered when his eyes dropped to study them like he wanted to kiss her. She would kill him again without a bit of remorse if he dared to touch her in the way he insinuated he wanted to touch her. Keeping in mind who she was dealing with here, enabled her to stay calm. A master of manipulation, Kei could deceive with a mere expression and mislead with an insincere action. What kind of game was he playing?

"I want you to teach me how to love," he murmured, gradually sliding his eyes back up to hers.

Callie's lips twisted into a wry grin of blatant skepticism. "Please, Kei, do not try to screw with me."

"I wouldn't dare." He sighed, clearly disappointed by having his bluff called. He withdrew his arms from her to stand to his feet. "I'll leave that to Kō."

"You're a real bastard, Kei. Has anyone ever told you that?"

"Hmmm...I'm used to being called a jerk. Guess I'm coming up in the world."

"Yeah. You've been upgraded to a whole new level of asshole. Congratulations." She stood to her feet, looking down at the sorry state of her shirt. "I think I should go change first."

"It doesn't matter to me what you're wearing," he snapped.

"What did I say about being a smart ass?"

"I suppose I'm failing at the whole establishing trust thing as well?"

"Epically."

"What do we do now?" he asked, snatching up his t-shirt from the ground at his feet. He used the wadded up ball of cotton to mop the sweat from his face that was red from heat or humiliation or both, it didn't really matter.

"You tell me Kei. You're the man with the plan. How do we proceed?" She turned her back to him, purposely leaving herself open for an attack from him. Any show of vulnerability seemed like something he simply could not pass up using to his advantage. After waiting several minutes, allowing silence to stretch between them, nothing happened.

"Why were you researching me online?" Callie demanded to break the silence. "I have already told you some things. If there was more you wanted to know, you could have just asked."

"I could have. But how would I know you were telling me the truth?"

Callie could feel him coming closer. The hairs on the back of her neck raised imparting a bizarre pins and needles sensation to the skin.

"I find it ironic that you have such severe trust issues yet you do nothing to elicit trust from others. If anything, you do everything within your power to instill mistrust. I suppose it's true what they say, that misery really does love company," she muttered, using her hand to smooth down the hairs to rid herself of the crawling sensation from the base of her skull to her shoulders. "You're miserable so you want to make everyone around you miserable. Then you won't feel so alone. You're a prisoner of your own making."

"I suppose," Kei agreed, his tone disingenuous.

Callie could feel the closeness, the imposing heat, of his body at her back. Her upper teeth caught her lower lip to prevent the anguished shout from escaping her. He was too damn close. She did not turn around due to the imminent risk of bumping into him.

"Are you afraid of me?" he asked, his hot breath tickling her ear.

She inadvertently cringed. Although his body was not touching hers, she felt dirty, tainted, as if his hands had been all over her. Her entire body tightened like a coiled spring. She gasped and forgot how to breath when his hand rested on her hip. "Kei."

"I won't hurt you," he promised, stepping closer until his chest pressed against her back. His hand moved across her belly, massaging lightly as if he were testing the density of her muscles.

Her adominal muscles quaked under his probing fingertips, and she felt sick. "Kei, stop it or I'll hurt you," she warned.

"Really?" he laughed mockingly in disbelief.

Callie placed her hand over his that was pressed flat against her belly. Her fingers grasped his, wrenching them back along with his wrist to rip his arm away from her waist. She threw back her elbow into his ribs. The sound of bone cracking met her ears, but she could not be sure if she broke his wrist or ribs. Sliding one of her legs back between his, she raked her foot forward across the ground to catch his heel and ankle, sweeping his leg out from under him. Spinning around to drop down on his prostrated form, she rammed her knee into his chest threatening to break his sternum. Her other knee was on his throat, pinning him to the ground while simultaneously cutting off his airway.

"I told you I would hurt you," she growled at him through her teeth. "I don't need my black ghosts to fight you. I can take you out all on my own. Can you say the same?"

Actually, Kei could not say anything because she was choking him. His eyes bugged out of his head while he struggled for air, staring up at her mutely. The tiny capillaries breaking in eyeballs flooded the white sclera with crimson streaks. Before she killed him, again, she jumped up to her feet in one graceful, effortless movement. He pulled in a noisy breath to give his starved lungs the air they craved before succumbing to a coughing fit like that of a person dying of tuberculosis.

"Show me," he croaked, rubbing his damaged throat while sitting up.

"Show you what?" she retorted acidly.

"Show me how to fight."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

"Before I agree to do that, there's something I must do first. Run," she ordered him.

"What?" He was baffled by the command. His head tilted like that of a befuddled puppy. She almost laughed.

"Run," she repeated. "Think of it as a game of hide and seek. I suggest you run. Fast."

Her flat, hard eyes fastened themselves to the bewildered Kei when he slowly started backing away from her without turning around. Determined to get through to him, to break through the emotional walls he refused to allow anyone to scale, she had a scheme to stop the cycle of mistrust and murder he had been perpetuating.

Two black ghosts, the ones she used to defend herself the first time he had attempted to kill her, separated from her body to charge after him. Shockingly, a third, built somewhat like an ape, jumped straight up from her body and leaped toward him.

There was only one thing he could say before he spun around to make a desperate sprint for the trees. "Shit!"


	14. Chapter 14

_This bitch is crazy!,_ Kei thought to himself. He grasped his injured arm above the wrist in an attempt to stabilize it while he barrelled through the trees dodging low limbs and getting slapped in the face with the whip-like branches of bushes.

Callie had told him to run so he ran, outpacing his followers by only a few yards but staying ahead of them nonetheless. Kei zigged and zagged, tracing a helter-skelter path through the forest that was becoming more dense as he scampered along.

There seemed to be no end to this mad dash. They were still too close for him to find a hiding place. His lungs were starting to burn, and he could no longer draw in a deep breath to satiate them. There was a painful stitch in his left side like he was being stabbed repeatedly below his ribs. And his damn wrist pulsed like a toothache but twice as painful.

His mind contemplated how many IBMs she could produce. Until now she had only created two at a time. Forming a third was a new and shocking revelation. Being distracted by his thoughts, Kei did not see the bare limb sticking out from a scraggly, thin tree. The dead, dry branch with a razor sharp end scraped across his cheek opening a bloody trail from the bridge of his nose to his ear. It stung like a motherfucker.

"Dammit!"

Callie was showing her darker, scarier side. Something deep inside of him had told him it was there all along waiting to be coaxed out. Unfortunately, her secret could not be found out by an internet search no matter how many information trails he followed. Since the beginning, he believed she was hiding a part of herself. This was the part of her had been searching for all along.

Perhaps he had pushed too far, too hard. In his zeal to expose her, to prove that she was not the nice, kind nurse she pretended to be, he had driven her to the edge of reason and shoved her over into the abyss of temporary loss of her logical faculties. He couldn't help it. All and all, he had to admit she had been a thoughtful, gentle person who appeared to only want to help him and Kō. Yet there was something about her he could not bear and made him hate her. She possessed this weird ability to get to him, to push his boundaries, and excite his mind like no one had before in his life. Her startling talent bothered him.

Risking a glance behind him, he saw the three black ghosts were still after him, the one ambling along on all fours in a loping gait making it appear more gorilla like. How bizarre that she would produce one that would look like an animal. But gorillas were capable of incredible speed, agility, and strength.

 _'_ _Your black ghost is a part of you. An extension of your body and mind.'_ Her words replayed in his mind.

A wry grin tilted his lips. The gorilla ghost did remind him of her with it's build: wide muscular shoulders, powerful arms, and short but nimble legs.

A roar that could only be emitted by a vicious, enraged beast erupted behind him. The sound startled him causing him to to pivot his body to stare at the source. The gorilla ghost launched itself off the ground, jumping with arms outstretched toward him. There was barely enough time for him to swivel back around in preparation to run but there was not enough time for an escape. The massive IBM in beast form landed on his back slamming him into the ground. Severe pressure filled his torso followed by a distinct sensation of several organs rupturing simultaneously inside of him.

Vomiting blood into a puddle the ground, he tried to guess how many of his organs had been popped like balloons. His musings were cut short by the creature on top of him who pushed his face into the pool of blood to suffocate him while he bled out internally. Drowning while subsequently bleeding to death from internal injuries combined for an excruciatingly torturous way to die.

Within minutes, Kei was alive again and good as new. Swinging his head in every direction, he searched for her three black ghosts. Then that one damnable syllable that had started this whole thing echoed through the trees to reach him.

"Run!"

Kei scrambled to his feet taking a few awkward, fumbling steps before he had fully gained his balance then managed to streak forward. He knew they were behind him. He could feel them close behind. The IBMs emitted an energy, a life force of their own, imparted to them by their creator. Chancing a glimpse back, he saw that there was quite a distance between himself and the ensuing herd of three.

The three black ghosts separated, racing through the trees in a jagged horizontal line behind him. The tall one casually jumped over bushes and fallen logs as if running a hurdle race. The short one rushed straight ahead, her body disappearing and reappearing when she ran through an object instead of around it. The gorilla ghost vaulted into the trees, using the limbs to swing from one to another like Tarzan. He noted that all three appeared to be holding back, purposely allowing him to get away from them. Hide and seek. Apparently this was where the hide part of the game came into play.

Darting to the left, Kei searched for a suitable hiding place. He glanced down low then up high. Bolting forward he hit his belly and slid like a penguin to hide under the covering shelter of a line of thickly overgrown bushes. It had not occurred to him to check for thorns among the dark green leaves but luckily there was none. Sweat dripped from his chin onto the ground. Could these things, the IBMs, detect scent? More to the point, could they smell fear? He was scared. And angry. The fact that she successfully stirred the primeval emotion of fear within him infuriated him.

Kei held his breath to make sure they could not hear him either as the three pursuing black beings ambled into the area. They glanced around like there were truly looking for him.

"Go," he heard Callie command them before they disappeared obediently.

She was like a mad magician of sorts, calling her black ghosts from the ether at will and sending them back just as quickly. Summoning them appeared to take no effort whatsoever. She managed to create one black ghost that was so completely and carefully formed that it had appeared to be a fully realized shadow of herself that possessed both mass and volume. Her creations astounded him, and he had to admire her - just a little bit - for her control and ease when using them.

"Come on out. I know you're there," she announced impatiently.

Kei expelled the breath he had been holding in a noisy puff before crawling from his hiding place using his elbows and knees. He stood to his feet, brushing off the dead leaves from his sweat soaked shirt. His nose wrinkled in disgust when the wind blew through the trees carrying his scent upwards to his face. He reeked. Sweat and fear combined to form a repugnant stench.

The cold fear still held him in it's frigid grip. Dammit. Very few times in his life had he experienced the deep seated, spine tingling, heart stopping terror he had endured during the chase. He glared at the woman standing in front of him with one hand on her hip giving him a cocky grin. He hated her so much. His eyes drifted down her body, studying the bloody hole that had been punched through her shirt. One corner of his mouth perked up into a spiteful, lopsided grin.

"So you've caught me. Now what?" he asked with disdain coating his voice.

"Now," she sighed, making her aggravation evident, "we talk. There are a few things we need to work out between us."

"Okay. Where do we begin?"

"Most importantly, stop killing the people who are supposed to be your friends and allies. Next, we'll have to work on your trust issues."

"My trust issues."

" _Your_ trust issues," Callie repeated pointedly. "We need to be able to trust you and you should be able to trust us. You need to start clueing us in on all of your plans and ideas. Stop acting like this is some covert operation, and you're a super secret spy or something. Besides, won't Kō and I be the ones helping you to carry it out?"

"Yes."

"Well then, we should know what is expected of us and be privy to all of the details of what we're getting into. Don't you think?"

"I suppose so," he mumbled, pouting like a scolded child.

"Come on," she said, waving for him to follow while she turned on her heel. "We should be getting back. You need a shower. I was able to find you by the smell."

"You don't smell so good yourself."

"I never said I didn't. I feel disgusting." She self-consciously tugged at the torn shirt where the blood had dried and turned brown.

They walked for a little while silence until emerging from the trees. The house sat in the distance across a wide flat open space of tall, dry grass swaying back and forth. It was so peaceful here. He did not want to leave, but soon they would have to leave. What happened after that was anybody's guess. His plan had not yet been fully formulated, and he had not considered what would come afterward. There were too many unknowns. Too many ifs and maybes. Several outcomes, depending on whether they succeed or fail, would have to be taken into account.

Should they stay together and go their separate ways? Would Callie stay with Kō? Would Kei stay with both of them and continue to be the third wheel? He decided to let time and circumstance dictate how all of that would go because at the moment there were still too many unknown factors at play. One of those factors was Callie.

"About the whole trust thing," he began while they waded through the grass that came up to his knees and her thighs. "The only person I've been able to count on in my life is myself. Especially here recently."

"Kei, you're not in this by yourself anymore. We all have the same thing in common. We're Ajins, we're being hunted, and we're scared out of our minds. We would all like to live normal lives. Or as normal as life can get for us."

"Yeah," he agreed.

There were brief moments when he could like her. But she was only a tool to be used, to further his plans for freedom. He had no desire to take over the world like Satō. He harbored no vendetta against humans or Ajins. He only wanted to be left alone, to life a life of peace and comfort without always looking over his shoulder for someone who was trying to eradicate him or use him as a test subject. A sensation like frigid ice water trickling down his spine made him visibly shudder when he recalled the experiments the pathetic excuse for scientists had put him through.

"Kei?"

Callie placed her unexpectedly cool hand on his upper arm startling him yet he did not jerk away from her. She moved her hand on his cheek which made his heated skin feel so much hotter. He wanted to yell at her not to touch him. Instead, he stayed quiet, delving into her eyes with his while she pressed both of her palms to his cheeks. Actually, he rather enjoyed her touching him at the moment and took comfort in it.

"What is it?" he asked, his stomach turning somersaults with apprehension. Something flashed in her eyes that made him nervous.

"Kei, you must understand, I am serious in my requests. I need your solemn promise that you will not recklessly and needlessly take lives. Especially mine and Kō's."

"Okay, okay." He saw the expression deepen in her eyes to that murderous look they had contained before she sicced her black ghosts on him. "I prom - "

Kei never felt a thing when she jerked his neck sharply, breaking it quickly and easily. Of course she would know how to do that. She was a nurse. She knew how to save a life. Conversely, she also knew how to take one by virtue of having the knowledge of what NOT to do to hurt or kill a patient. He had already decided he should put away all of his misgivings and learn to trust her. Having her as an ally would be very much in all of their best interests because she would make a far more dangerous enemy.


	15. Chapter 15

Kō watched them from the tiny square window on the back door. His heart sank when she stepped close to Kei placing her hands on his face. A sick feeling wormed its way into his gut. A combination of jealousy and the anger of betrayal slipped like an oily eel through his intestines as she stood there holding his face and staring up at him.

Then she did something that horrified him. Callie twisted Kei's neck sharply, angling his chin upward as she did so. It looked like she was attempting to screw his head off of his neck. Kei's body dropped straight down to the ground, disappearing into the tall grass. She had killed him with her bare hands!

Kō's jaw dropped, leaving him to gape wide eyed with shock and disbelief at what he had observed. This had to be a nightmare. He was still asleep in the bed. She couldn't have done something like that. Though Kei was a total ass and could drive a preacher to cuss, as Callie had remarked about him, Kō could not fathom what might have driven her to kill him - or why Kei stood there and let her do it.

"No," he breathed, opening the door.

As he trotted toward them to find out what was going on, he saw her drop to her knees beside where Kei's body landed. She covered her face with her hands, and he could hear her wailing pitifully. The sea breeze had shifted and was bringing the sound of her mournful wails more clearly to his ears.

"Callie? Callie!" he yelled, breaking into a full run to reach her faster. His heart slammed into his chest like a hammer. What in the hell was going on?

Kō arrived at the same time Kei sat up in the grass, alive and good as new. Red streaked Kei's face and arms as if from hundreds of tiny cuts but the cuts were healed and only the blood remained. There was one really wide stripe of blood across his cheek where a wide gash had been. His short black hair was a spiky dirty mess and sweat drenched his clothes. Kei stood up as if nothing unusual had occurred and walked toward the house while Kō mutely stared after him.

"What the hell happened to you?" he asked Kei who did not stop or turn around.

"Ask your girlfriend," he muttered, waving his hand to dismiss the question like he was shooing away a hovering mosquito.

Kō knelt down in front of Callie pulling her hands away from her face. Her cheeks were wet and shiny with tears and snot dribbled from her nose. She was a mess.

"Are you all right?" Kō questioned her directly.

"I'm okay," she sniffled, her lower lip quivering.

Kō pulled off his white t-shirt to wipe her face. He gentle cleaned away the tears then handed it to her to use as a handkerchief. His eyes roamed over her searching for wounds. Her t-shirt had a big piece ripped out of the front. Brown stains covered the entire perimeter of torn material. Dried blood, caked and cracked, covered her belly showing through the hole.

"What happened?"

Callie stared into space and did not respond. She had quieted down and was no longer sobbing. Her eyes were unfocused and bleary. He began to wonder if she was aware of him at all. He rubbed his thumb over her cheek to gently get her attention. When her eyes met his, he gave her a smile to reassure her.

"Oh, my god, Kō!" she cried out, flinging her arms around his neck. "It was awful! Just horrible! I'm not so different than him! Oh, god, how can I be like him?!"

"Who? Him, who? Callie?"

She continued to babble like a mad woman, her voice breaking with a sorrow he did not understand. Kō held her, stroking her back to soothe her. He stayed silent and did not push her away despite the fact she was hugging his neck so fiercely he could barely breathe. When she finally stopped uttering nonsense, he tentatively asked, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm a monster. A filthy murderer like Satō. I'm like him. I'm just like him," she whispered.

Kō hoped she did not start crying again. Seeing her cry, especially with so much unbridled sadness, made his heart ache.

"You're nothing like him. Nothing at all. Just because Kei finally made you mad enough to kill him doesn't mean you're a bad person. And you're nothing like Satō."

Callie unwrapped her arms from around his neck, dropping back onto her butt. She looked exhausted. Not simply tired but weary of the world. She wore an 'I'm so done with this shit' expression on her taut face. Her hands raised to her neck to massage it.

"Here," he offered, reaching toward her. "Let me."

He pulled back when she gasped and shrank back from him after his hands enclosed her neck.

"I'm sorry. It's just...you know, I thought...oh, god." She ran her hand over her face. Her fingers trembled uncontrollably.

"I know. I shouldn't have done it like that." He moved around behind her, walking on his knees. His fingers dug into the tight muscles of her shoulders that felt like steel rods under her skin.

"It's not killing him that bothered me," she admitted. Her head dropped forward to extend her neck so Kō could push hard into the painfully drawn muscles along the sides. She inhaled a deep, shaky breath. "I toyed with him. I made a game of it. I think I actually enjoyed it when I did it."

"I can't say I wouldn't enjoy murdering the little bastard," Kō remarked offhandedly. "Can you honestly say he didn't deserve it? He's killed us both more than once. Sometimes it's like all of this is a game to him. He likes playing with people's minds. Doesn't that make him more like Satō than you?"

"Maybe," she rejoined thoughtfully.

Kō wished there was something he could do to take away all of the bad things she was feeling. He dropped his hands and stood to his feet. Standing in front of her, he reached down to her, taking her hands, and pulling her up onto her feet. She was so much shorter than him, barely reaching the middle of his chest. Although she was probably stronger and a better fighter than him, he felt the need to protect her.

"Let's go inside. You should take a shower and get changed. I made breakfast." He sighed sadly, shaking his head. "I'm sure it's cold though."

"You cook?"

Callie sounded genuinely surprised. Maybe a little too surprised. Kō refused to be offended by the question. He took her by the hand, squeezing it before he turned to lead her to the house.

"I learned to cook out of self-defense. A person can eat only so much ramen and convenience store food. Breakfast is nothing fancy. I know my cooking is not the greatest, but I do okay."

"Kō?"

"Hmm?" He swiveled his upper body around to look at her when she did not say anything else.

"Thank you." She put her arms around his waist, embracing him. "Thank you for being so sweet to me."

Kō really didn't find it that difficult to be nice to her. He wanted to be with her, to love her. Hopefully, soon she would stop being so stubborn about it. The impromptu hug was an endearing and poignant show of affection. He relished her closeness, reveling in it despite the hot sun bearing down on them from above. When she let him go, he took her by the hand to lead her to the house. Sometimes more than her small stature made her seem like a child to him. He understood how she could see him as a child. He was younger than her, and he knew he was immature. But he knew he loved her and wanted to be with her.

Once they were inside the house, he released her hand so she could take a shower and do whatever she needed to do. A quick scan of the small place showed that Kei was no where to be found. He had most likely gone to his room after his shower to rest. A smile touched Kō's lips when he envisioned what hell Callie must have put Kei through.

"Kō?" she called, standing at the bathroom door.

"Yeah? What is it?" He watched her nervously chewing her lower lip with her top teeth. He could not begin to comprehend what might be going on in that pretty little head of hers.

"Would you like to join me? For a shower?"

OH. MY. GOD.

"Are you sure about this?" he managed to calmly inquire. His head felt like it was about to blast off from his body like a rocketship and go into outer space for orbit. _Don't act like a dork. Don't act like a dork. Stay calm. Be a man,_ he silently coached himself.

"I'm sure." She extended her hand to him in a wordless invitation to accept her offer - to accept her.

Kō hesitated, switching his gaze from her hand to her face. The answer should be simple. He had wanted this from the first time he had laid eyes on her. But she was upset, not thinking clearly. Did she really want him or the momentary comfort of a warm body close to hers? A momentary high to ease her suffering. He slid his hand into hers, grasping it tightly as if she might disappear. Whatever her reason for wanting him, he did not want her to regret it later.

Kō placed one arm around her waist to pull her into him while his other hand cradled the back of her head to hold it to his chest. For once, he was going to be an adult and do the mature thing. His body wanted her, so much that it hurt. But his mind told him to wait.

"As much as I would like to do that, I can't." He kissed her forehead then let her go. "Take your shower. I'll have an ice cold beer waiting for you when you get out."

"You don't have to do that."

A red coloration that had nothing to do with the sun tinted her cheeks. She looked so incredibly cute and innocent with a blush.

"So can we revisit the whole taking a shower together thing later?" he inquired, feeling heat creep up his neck until it reached his hairline at his forehead.

"Oh, definitely," she giggled, nervously pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

Bashfulness suited her pushing her cuteness level to positively adorable. Kō turned on his heel to walk to the kitchen. He needed to clean up the mess from cooking and figure out what to do with the uneaten food.

"Kō?" she called.

"Yeah," he rejoined, looking back over his shoulder.

"You're a good man. Thank you."

"Uh, ah, yeah. Thanks," he murmured, unsure of how to respond.

He smiled happily while he walked to the kitchen. She finally saw him as a man. She could not have given him a greater compliment.


	16. Chapter 16

Callie poked at a perfectly steamed broccoli floret using it to scoot a baby carrot aside to place it next to a sugar snap pea. She continued to divide the vegetables by color. Green, orange, red, and yellow. Such a beautifully and thoughtfully prepared meal. Nausea weighed heavy and vile in her belly due to the troublesome thoughts that would not leave her.

Kō had prepared the dinner with her queasy stomach in mind. The rice and steamed vegetables looked delicious, but her appetite had deserted her. She felt awful that she could not bring herself to stomach a single forkful of the food that was meant to quell her uneasy tummy.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, kissing Kō on the cheek . "I think - I think I need to be alone for a little while."

Callie cautiously stood up making sure her unsteady legs would hold her. Putting her hand on Kō's shoulder while he stared up at her worriedly she gave it a reassuring squeeze. As she passed Kei, she brushed her hand over his head, ruffling his hair lightly like he was an adored little brother. On her way to the door, she picked up the light weight cashmere blanket from the back of the rocking chair. Throwing it around her shoulders, she walked out of the door.

"What happened between you two?" Kō asked.

"She didn't tell you?" Kei returned, glimpsing at him over his glass of iced tea while taking a sip.

"No. I did see her kill you. She's been a basket case since she stopped crying. She stayed in her room all afternoon."

"I'm sure she's tired. It was a rough morning. She'll tell you when she's ready. Give her time."

Kō glowered at Kei. He could not believe that Kei was being nice especially where Callie was concerned. How incredibly suspicous. Kei had been acting weird as well since the incident.

"Something big happened between you two," Kō groused, ruthlessly stabbing a carrot with his fork. "I want to know what it is."

"I suppose the best way to summarize what happened is that the two of us have come to an understanding. We have developed a mutual respect, I think. She believes we should develop a modicum of trust between us," he explained, watching the tension drain from Kō's face.

"She's right. For this to work, for your plan, whatever it is, to be a success, we have to trust each other."

"Yeah. That's what she said."

Callie had made a logical argument, appealed to Kei's analytical sensibilities and reached him. She had known an emotion laden plea would not get his attention. But being hunted and killed sure had.

~...~

* * *

Callie sat in the dry, powdery sand huddled under the blanket with her knees pulled up to her chest. She stared out across the black waves that reflected the white light of the full moon like a dark mirror. She was numb. Feeling something, even it was sadness or anger, would be better than feeling nothing at all. Being devoid of emotion bothered her more than crying until her eyes ached or punching holes in the wall to relieve her fury. But she had already done those things. There goes her security deposit for renting the house. She wanted - needed - to feel something.

Callie yelped in surprise when something freezing cold and wet was pressed to her cheek. She looked up to see Kō standing beside her with an amused grin on his face and a beer in his hand. In his other hand he held a pack of cigarettes.

"I figured you could use these. You seem a little...stressed."

Callie reached out to take the thoughtful offerings, the blanket slipping off of her shoulders to gather around her hips. After popping the top on the beer, she took a long draw thankful for the cold liquid that soothed her throat which was raw from screaming into her pillow during the afternoon. In her bedroom she had bawled her eyes out and screamed in frustration. Her actions had scared the hell out of her.

Even more frightening had been her thoughts and her feelings during the event. She had enjoyed preying upon Kei, seeking him out while instilling fear in him. Then the kill. There had been such a heady rush when her ghost pounced on him, grinding his insides into goo, that she had nearly fainted. There had been no denying her reaction. Gratification, elation, pleasure bordering on orgasmic delight. She enjoyed every second of it. She shivered.

"Here," Kō murmured, pulling up the blanket to cover her shoulders and tuck it securely around her body. He sat beside her on the sand, his hip against hers.

His arm around her shoulders was steadying, comforting, giving her strength. A pleasant warmth flowed through her warming her body from the inside out to chase away the chill she had been unable to rid herself of for hours. She sat her beer in the sand, twisting it into the powdery grains to create a holder of sorts so it wouldn't tip over. Her hands shook when she tapped the pack on the heel of her hand to shake out a single cigarette. The white stick wiggled between her trembling fingers. Between her shaking and the strong wind there was no way she could light it so she tossed the cigarette away.

"Are you all right?" he questioned her softly.

"No," she admitted. "I'm not all right."

"What is it?"

"I don't want to be like him, Kō. I don't want to be like my grandfather," she confessed, laying her head on his shoulder. "It's bad enough being an Ajin like him. I can't bear the thought of being a senseless murderer. Cruelly killing innocent people for the sheer fun of it."

"Kei is far from innocent. And he deserved to get some of the shit he's been doling out to us. You have to realize that."

"I do. But it doesn't make me feel better about what I did. Because..." She hesitated, sucking in a deep, quavering breath. "I liked it. I wanted to do it again and again because it felt so damn good. I - "

Kō's mouth unexpectedly covered hers to cease her words. At first, she did not move. Her initial reaction was to push him away but that was not what she wanted at all. When the pressure of his lips on hers lightened as if he might take his lips from hers, Callie pushed back into his kiss urging him to continue. Her hand pressed to his chest detecting his runaway heartbeat. Trailing her fingers down his hard abdomen, she slipped them under the edge of his t-shirt while simultaneously parting her lips to tempt him to take the kiss deeper. A guttural groan rolled from her throat when the tip of his tongue passed her lips to tease the tip of hers. Heat, powerful and consuming, flared deep inside of her belly. The flames of arousal spread, licking out toward her extremities while his tongue sensually stroked hers.

Callie's hand roamed over Kō's ridged abdomen. His skin was warm, smooth, and tantalizing to the touch. His wheezing intake of air when her fingers glided over his ribs increased the inferno inside of her making droplets of sweat rise to the surface of her skin under her nose and across her forehead. Her hand flattened over his taut pectoral, squeezing, then massaging to make his nipple tighten with desire. Her movements were a veiled hint for him to do the same to her.

Kō picked up on her intimation quickly, cupping her braless breast through her shirt. He kneaded the firm flesh with his hand bringing a sigh from her lips that reluctantly lifted from his.

"I've never touched a woman this way," he whispered. His eyes dropped to her breasts. Both of his hands were on them now, rubbing and pinching her nipples through her shirt. "They feel so good. So good."

Callie pushed his hands away, reaching down to grab the hem of her shirt so she could snatch it over her hand. Taking his hands in hers, she pressed them to her breasts. Her hands covered his, guiding them to manipulate her breasts. His mouth was on her throat, pressing kisses along the length from her chin to the hollow. A long moan of ecstasy escaped through her parted lips when his tongue darted out to taste the skin in the concave dip of her neck. Her hands moved from his hands to his head, pushing into his hair to clutch his head that moved lower sprinkling kisses along her chest.

Teasing her with little kisses and occasional nibbles, Kō made gradually decreasing circles around her breasts. By the time his lips reached her hard, stimulated nipples, her body was shaking like a leaf in a stout breeze. When his warm, wet tongue lapped over the yearning flesh, she howled helplessly, arching her back to push the nipple straight into his mouth. She could not help but giggle when he made a funny 'hamph' sound from suddenly having a mouthful of breast.

Kō raised his head to look at her. His eyes, half closed and glassy, tried to focus on hers. He kissed her, quickly and sweetly, before pressing his forehead to her chest. His breathing was loud and ragged like he could not catch his breath.

"Callie, touch me, please," he implored her, taking her hand in his.

Callie compliantly followed his wishes when he directed her hand to his bulging crotch. She groped him through the fabric of his khaki shorts making him moan. Her fingers tugged and fumbled with the button then the zipper. She pushed her hand under the elastic band of his underwear to take his erection into her palm and squeezed which made him call out her name. He was short, but thick. She wanted him.

While still gripping his hardness with one hand, she pushed him down onto his back with the other pressed against his shoulder. Seizing her skirt, she pulled it up to straddle his hips.

"Are you sure?" he asked, holding her by the hips.

Callie rocked her hips, teasing him with the sensational friction created by her hand and her cotton panties brushing across him. Arousal made the muscles of her belly tighten to an almost painful degree when his eyes closed, and he raised his hips up into her.

"I'm sure," she assured him, leaning down to kiss him. "I want this. I want _you._ "

"Me?" He sat up, putting his arms around her waist.

"Yeah, you. Not just for sex, but for everything. To hold me, to take care of me, to..." She hesitated, lowering her eyes from his. She could not bear the ardent caring in his unassuming eyes. Suddenly she felt ashamed, unworthy of a man of his sincerity and innocence.

"Callie? Look at me." When she stubbornly refused to meet his gaze, he took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and pulled it up so she would have to look into his eyes. "I love you."

"Oh, Kō." Her arms wound around his neck to embrace him.

"You don't have to say it back. I don't want you to say it at all unless you mean it. You probably think I'm an idiot. We haven't known each other long, and I know it's kind of stupid. But I do. I love you."

"You are an idiot. For loving someone like me," she added, kissing his forehead. "I guess we're both idiots. I love you too."

Kō smiled, a broad, silly, almost childish grin. "I'm happy."

"I'm happy when I'm with you. You make everything better. You make me feel...you make me feel like I'm still a real human," she said, kissing his lips.

"Can I make you feel something else?" he asked, moving his hips to remind her that she was still holding his erection in her hand.

"Oh, yes." She released him so she could stand up to remove her underwear. She tossed it aside onto the blanket that had been discarded earlier. Lowering herself back down to his body, she took him inside of her while her returning to her position of kneeling across his hips. Her hips slid forward to gradually take him all in.

"Don't move," he gasped, encompassing her waist with his arms. "I want to feel you since this is my first time. It's so soft and warm, wet. I've never felt anything like this before. It feels good."

"It gets better," she promised him, holding him close with her arms around his shoulders. Rotating her hips, she ground her body into his, making both of them moan from the sexual enjoyment.

Kō's hands grabbed her hips, his fingers splaying across the rounded swell while his thumbs pressed into her pelvic bones to push her back. His fingers clenched, digging into her flesh to pull her forward.

Callie dotted his neck with kisses allowing him to move her at his pace. Taking it slow, relishing each stroke, she sighed her gratitude into his ear and groaned with each delightful surge of mounting exhilaration. Matching the rhythm he had set for her, she glided her body back and forth, then up and down on him. On a down-stroke, he thrust upward to meet her drawing a yowl of rapture from her.

Their lips met and parted time and time again while their bodies joined in mutual bliss. Passionate, meaningful looks were exchanged between each kiss, amidst every pleasure inducing stroke. Kō enveloped her with his arms, hugging her close. His open mouth pressed to her collar bone. He emitted a cadenced hum that vibrated his lips against her skin sending shivers of ecstasy down her spine. With a few more powerful thrusts, he reached his end.

Callie held onto him while his hips continued to push up into her with irregular movements that varied in intensity. Tilting her hips toward him, she pushed her clitoris into his pubic bone using his convulsive thrusts to bring herself to orgasm.

"Oh, Kō!" she exclaimed, her teeth grazing his neck.

"Did you - "

"Yes!" She opened her eyes to see a satisfied smirk on his face that was a little egotistical. "Pretty proud of yourself, aren't you?"

"You have no idea." He kissed her neck, nipping her gently to make her squeal. His fingers brushed across her ribs with a light ticklish touch that made her giggle. "I like to hear you laugh."

"I like the way you make me laugh." She hugged him, nestling her face against his neck. "You make me happy."

"I like making you happy." He combed his fingers through her wind tousled hair. "Callie?"

"What?" She kept her eyes closed while reveling in the security of his arms around her holding her like he never wanted to let her go.

"Will you stay with me forever?"

Her breath caught in her throat, and she swallowed to dissolve the lump that had formed so swiftly it almost choked her. Basking in the afterglow of great sex seemed to lend itself to whispering sweet words of endearment and making promises that couldn't be kept. She took his face between her hands, kissing him tenderly. Sadness settled over her like a palpable fog, cold and damp.

"I'll stay with you as long as I can because there's no other place I want to be," she said, claiming his mouth with a fervent kiss before he could say anything else.

Callie knew she could not in good conscience promise forever, but she could promise that she would be by his side until something beyond her control took her away.


	17. Chapter 17

Callie rubbed her aching shoulder. Casting a glance at Kei lying flat on his back on the ground, she groaned. They had been practicing all afternoon and so far she had successfully defended herself against his every attack. Unfortunately, the point was not for her to learn self-defense but to teach him offensive maneuvers.

She could not determine if she had failed as a teacher or if he had failed as a student. The only thing he had learned and showed a great aptitude for was landing on his back. Each time he rushed her headlong in anger, believing sheer brute force would be able to take her down, he wound up lying on his back like a dying cockroach. A basic clothesline technique had driven him to the ground after his last hasty blitz.

Leaning down to him, Callie thumped him soundly on the forehead, his skull making a hollow sound like a ripe melon. "You're not thinking. You are not using your brains."

"Is intelligence required for fighting?" Kei inquired, rubbing his sore forehead. "I thought it was all brawn and no brains."

"The ability to think, to plot, to plan your attacks, is one of the most important skills required to be a good fighter. Otherwise, you wind up on your back. Out of breath and pathetic."

Kei's eyebrows drew together, dredging a trough of fury between them. He jumped to his feet, grabbing for her.

Callie seized his wrist, twisting it while pulling his arm up behind his back. She swung her leg at him in a roundhouse kick that caught him in the lower thighs to drive him to his knees. Ruthlessly, she bent his arm further until he cried out in pain. Bringing her face close to his, she said, "I suppose you're right. Acting on instinct is sometimes far more effective and brutal than applying logic."

"You are a cruel bitch," he ground out through his teeth that were gritted against the pain. "Are you going to break it? Come on then...do it."

His eyes held hers that were dead and emotionless. He did not like seeing her this way. Her absence of emotion made it impossible for him to read her thoughts or predict her actions. Suddenly, she let him go, and he lurched forward onto all fours. A white hot burning pain spread throughout his shoulder and radiated down his arm until his fingertips felt numb.

"Get up. We're not done," she told Kei, a little breathless. Her fingers dug into her neck, massaging the taut muscles.

"I can take over," Kō volunteered, stepping up beside her.

"No. I can do this," she assured him, pushing him back with a hand against his chest.

"Okay," he grudgingly agreed, backing away to return to his spot sitting under the shade of a tree several yards away.

"Get up, Kei," she ordered him.

"All right, all right," he muttered, getting to his feet. He impatiently brushed the grass and dirt off his knees then off his hands while walking away from her. "Stop nagging."

"Come at me with all you've got since you seem to favor that type of straightforward assault."

Callie studied Kei when he spun on his heel to face her before barrelling toward her at full speed. Not again. Yet another full on frontal attack. With his head down and thrust forward, his angry russet eyes focused on her, Kei looked like a furious, charging bull. She loosened her body to receive the impact when he hit her.

Before he reached her, Kei surprised her dropping down to the ground. Using one of his long legs, he swept her legs out from under her by striking at her ankles. Callie went down onto her back - hard. All of the air escaped her lungs in a loud wheeze. Dizziness made the white clouds in the beautiful bright blue sky above her dance.

"Fuck," she muttered, when he straddled her abdomen trapping her arms under his shins. Completely unable to move, he had at last successfully subdued her. She closed her eyes to avoid having to look at the triumphant smirk on his face.

"I got you," he panted, sweat dripping from his body onto hers.

"It's about time," she mumbled, opening one eye to gaze at him.

"Hey, asshole! You can get up now!" Kō bellowed angrily, advancing toward them quickly.

Kei stood to his feet, moving away without attempting to assist her to her feet. Her boyfriend could take care of that.

"What should we practice now oh wise and venerable one?" he asked while watching Kō pull her to a standing position. He rolled his eyes and issued an annoyed grunt of disapproval when her ridiculous boyfriend proceeded to check her over for her injuries. "Stop being an idiot! She's not a fragile doll. She's fucking tough as nails and could kick both or asses without trying very hard."

"But she's a woman, you jerk off!" Kō countered, casting him a lethal glare. He held her dirty, sweat streaked face between his palms. "Women are meant to be protected and cherished."

"Hmph," Kei snorted, kicking at the ground to push up dirt and grass like a divot from a golf swing.

"Kō, I'm fine," Callie assured him when his hands slid down her neck and arms searching for abrasions or contusions. "We should continue practice."

"Okay," he responded, reluctantly removing his hands from her. "Since you're sure there's nothing wrong."

"I'm fine," she repeated. "There is something you could do for me."

"Anything," he replied eagerly.

Kei made a gagging sound which the other two ignored.

"Could you go to the house and begin cooking dinner? I'll be in soon to help."

"Don't worry about it. I can do it. You've been working hard anyway." He kissed her forehead, then turned to go to the house.

"Oh, honey, and while you're at it, can you make me some green tea?" Kei stated derisively when Kō walked past him.

Kō swung a fist at Kei, astonished when his friend easily blocked the strike with his forearm. A jeering grin pushed up the corner of his mouth. "Good. You are learning something. I'm glad Callie isn't wasting her time with you."

Callie kept her mouth shut, afraid anything she might say would only turn the sparks given off by the friction between those two into a raging flame and full on fight. The breath she held pushed past her lips in a puff when Kō dropped his fist and continued on his way to the house.

"You should practice controlling your IBM again. You almost had it yesterday."

"Guide me, Master," Kei remarked with his patent sarcasm.

"The easiest way to gain control over your black ghost is to use the puppet method. Just move your body how you want your IBM to move. Concentrate on your own movements, and he moves. It's that easy," she instructed him, standing beside him.

"It's that easy," he repeated in a high pitched voice to mock her. "It's not as easy as you make it sound."

Callie rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Concentrate on the form of your ghost. Picture him appearing in front of you, taking shape."

Her eyes observed the tiny black specks that started to rise from Kei's hands and forearms. The small particles increased in size and number resembling large pieces of black ash rising from an invisible fire. The hazy outline of his IBM began forming. The being flickered several times like it might disappear entirely before completely taking shape.

"Move your body. Think only about your movements," she coached him a low, sing-song voice. "He will move along with you. You can do this, Kei, come on."

The obstinate IBM stood stock still. So much like its stubborn owner. Refusing to act according to directions, the thing did not so much as twitch.

"Use your anger, Kei. I know you have too much pent up anger inside of you."

The black ghost turned its back to them, stalking toward the forest as if fed up with the two humans trying to control him.

"Dammit," Kei growled under his breath.

"Keep your anger under control. Think of how a pressure cooker works. Think of something, someone, who angers you more than anything in this world. Allow the anger to build, but not overflow. Keep it contained."

"Keep it contained," he reiterated. He closed his eyes to further enable his concentration. His fingers curled to form fists that pressed into his thighs in effort to remain in control.

The IBM stopped before walking into the trees. It turned and strode back toward them.

"Stop," Kei commanded the being when it came close to them.

"You're doing great," she cheered him on. "Keep it up."

"I hate him. He left us. He left us for strangers. You bastard!" Kei yelled, raising his arm above his head.

Callie's body vibrated with excitement and pride when his IBM followed suit, raising his arm above his faceless head. She clapped when the creature followed Kei's arm movement in a downward slashing gesture. Hopping backwards, she barely avoided being cut by the sharp hooked talons at the end of the IBM's lengthy fingers. The black figure vanished in a wisp of dark gray smoke.

"I did it," he murmured, staring at his hands.

"You did it. Congratulations," she said, patting him on the shoulder.

"I can learn to control this damn thing." A mixture of relief and elation passed over his face.

"Shall we go home? I'm sure you can use some water." Her own throat felt parched, and he had been expending twice as much energy as her.

"There's something I need to talk to you about before we go. It's time we put my plan into action. We shouldn't wait any longer." He sighed, rolling his eyes heavenward. "As great as it would be to stay here, to pretend none of this was happening to us, we can't. Sooner or later, they'll come looking for us. Whether it be Satō or whoever wants to kill us or capture us, someone will come. It's best we act before they come find us."

"That's true." She would prefer to be discussing this over an ice cold beer. Water would not be strong enough for a conversation like this. But at the moment, she had neither. "So what is your plan?"

"I plan on contacting Yū Tosaki of the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. I have a way to get him to help us."

"How do you know he'll work with you?"

"Satō is a common enemy. He did post a video declaring that he planned to kill Tosaki."

"He could still say no. I'm sure he has ways of protecting himself besides allying with one of the demi-humans he is trying to eradicate."

"That's true," Kei mumbled, rubbing his chin like he always did when he was deep in thought. "Yū Tosaki has a loved one in the hospital. We can use her as leverage to give him no choice but to help us."

"But, Kei -" she started to protest only to be cut off.

"Don't be stupid, Callie! This is a war!" he yelled, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her slightly as if to wake her from a dream. "It's us against them. The humans want to kill us which is bad enough, but Satō is a danger to us all. He has to be destroyed, and we need Tosaki's help to make that happen. Sacrifices must be made."

"Swear to me you won't hurt her. She is an innocent party in this whole messy matter. There's no reason to - "

"I won't hurt her. I swear," he promised, releasing his vise like grip on her arms when she grimaced in discomfort. "I just need the threat to hold over Tosaki's head so he'll help us."

Callie rubbed her arms, avoiding his intense eyes. There was more to his plan, but he seemed loath to divulging the rest. "Out with it, Kei."

"There's something I need you to do as well, Callie," Kei said, turning his back to her so that he did not have to look at her. "I need you to make a video threatening Satō, threatening to expose his real identity. We need to give him a push so he will come out into the open."

"How do you know he'll respond? He probably won't even believe me," Callie argued.

Weariness, stronger than a mere physical tiredness, pressed down upon her. Her appetite fled and all she could think about was getting a shower and going to bed. Kei wore her down emotionally in a way that no one in her life ever had. She walked past him, barely controlling the urge to slap him across the back of the head.

"You can make him believe you. You know things about him that no one else knows. You are his granddaughter."

"I'd rather not be reminded of that fact." She continued walking, feeling his presence close behind her. "Is this our life, Kei? Meant to suffer and be miserable forever?"

"It's a misery everlasting."

"Misery everlasting? Yeah, that's the best way to describe it."

~...~

After dinner, Kei and Callie stepped out onto the front porch to talk. At first they said nothing, each one sitting in their chair lost in their own thoughts.

Callie smoked a cigarette. Her first one in several days. It had been even longer since her last drink. The gaping hole of hurt within her no longer demanded to be filled with empty stupid things. Kō not only dulled the pain but enabled her to forget the past and experience happiness in the present.

Taking a peek at Kei from the corner of her eye, she believed that, in his own weird way, he cared about Kō - and maybe even her as well. She smiled, sinking back into the chair and cuddling deeper into the blanket around her body.

"Hey, Kei."

"Hmmm?"

"Earlier, when you were forming your Black Ghost, who were you thinking about?"

"My father. He was a doctor. A surgeon. A good one. No, a great one," he corrected himself, leaning back in his chair to stare up at the stars.

"It sounds like you admire him as much as you hate him."

"I do admire him. So much that I want to be like him. He saved countless people's lives. Many of them wrote to him afterward to express their gratitude. Several continued writing him letters every year to tell him how they were doing. He went above and beyond to help his patients. He crossed boundaries he shouldn't have. He did anything and everything to save them. He went as far as to commit crimes." He closed his eyes to push back the tears that unexpectedly burned his eyeballs. After inhaling a deep cleansing breath to restrain his emotions, he continued speaking. "He bought kidneys from an organ trafficker to save a patient in the final stages of renal failure." His hand formed a fist and banged the arm of the chair with a dull thud. "He sacrificed his family, his career, his whole damn life, for a stranger. I hate him for that. I will never forgive him."

Callie said nothing, lighting another cigarette from the one she almost burnt down to the filter. She carelessly flicked away the spent cigarette, taking a long draw from the new one. Suddenly so many things about Kei made sense to her. Despite having a slightly better understanding of his cold, uncaring nature, she still did not like how calculating and cruel he could be. She immediately started to doubt her own conviction that Kei might actually care about her and Kō or consider them friends. She hoped he intended to keep his promise not to injure Tosaki's fiancee.

A frustrated sigh burst forth in a rush of air from her lips. Why did she care so much? Maybe Kei had the right idea to not give a damn about anyone but himself. Being selfish and uncaring simplified things and did not hurt like hell.

"The main reason I want to be a doctor is for my sister. She is terribly ill. I want to be able to cure her. To save her."

"That's very noble. And sweet. Something a good big brother would do." She inhaled, long and loud, turning her head to look at him. "Ajins will need doctors too. Who better than one of their own to research and tend to their, shall we say _special,_ needs? I imagine immortality can bring with it some interesting problems."

"That's true," he agreed. "I was just thinking, if you and Kō continue with your intimate activities, you'll be needing a doctor sooner than you think."

"What do you mean?" she questioned him, suspicion narrowing her eyes.

"Well, you and Ko are having unprotected sex. You're not a child. You're a nurse for God's sake. You know how babies are made."

"Okay, that's enough," she muttered, standing up from her chair. She stubbed out her half smoked cigarette on one of the columns supporting the roof above the porch. "This conversation is over."

Callie walked into the house with Kei one step behind her continuing to needle her like an annoying little brother.

"I mean who knows, you might already have a bun in the oven. Now, what would that be like? Have you thought about it? Talk about special needs. What would the child of two Ajins be like?"

"Shut up, Kei," she warned him.

"No, think about. I think it would be fantastic!" he declared excitedly.

"You do?" She turned around to glare at him questioningly. She was not sure if he was sincere or still messing with her.

"Think of the scientific value of such a unique child!"

"Kei!" she shrieked, remembering that he had been tortured and experimented on. "You're going too far!"

"Seriously though. It would be pretty amazing. Who knows what that be like? Hell, would it even be possible?"

"I don't know. It's kind of scary and wonderful to think about."

"Yeah. I suppose it is."

"So would it be okay for our baby to call you Uncle Kei?" Callie inquired.

"Okay, now you can shut up." He grabbed her by the wrist when she tried to go to her bedroom. "Are you willing to go along with my plan? I really need your help. I know I'm asking a lot."

"Do you believe that this is the only way? To ally with Tosaki and use me to draw Satō out into the open?" Her eyes locked onto his that were hardened with determination.

"Yes, I believe it's the only way," he answered with conviction.

"When Satō comes after me, what then?" Her heart sank and her confidence in him wavered when he blinked and his eyes slid away from hers momentarily. When his gaze reconnected with hers, they held the same resolve as before but he could see the doubt in hers.

"That's why we need Tosaki. Then his resources, men and weapons, will come into play."

"Is this a game to you?"

"No. But it's a game to Satō. To draw him in, we have to play the game."

"What are the rules?" she questioned him, turning her hand to clamp onto his wrist. She was presently holding him as securely as he was holding onto her.

"That's what makes this so tricky. The rules constantly change. We all make them up as we go along." A stinging sensation on the back of his wrist made him look down. Twisting his arm, he saw that her fingernails were digging into his skin. "Do you trust me?"

"I trust you. But I don't trust Satō. And how do we know if we can trust Tosaki? Trust cannot be coerced or forced." Her throat tightened making her feel as if she could barely breathe. "I'm scared."

"I know." Kei lifted his hand with the intention of stroking her cheek to comfort her. "Do you trust _me_?"

Callie held his pleading eyes when his fingertips contacted her cheek to wipe away the tear that zigzagged in a warm, wet trail across her skin. "Kei, I -"

"Callie?" Kō called, standing at the bedroom door. "Are you coming to bed?"

Kei instantly dropped his hand from her face, a blush spreading across his cheeks.

"Yeah, I'll be right there," she rejoined, wiping away the second tear using the back of her hand. Pushing herself up on her tiptoes, she kissed Kei on the cheek. "Good night, Kei."

"Good night, Callie." He nodded at Kō in silent acknowledgment. She never did answer his question. Did she trust him?


	18. Chapter 18

Callie lay down in the bed beside Kō easing over to press her body along the length of his back and legs. His body stiffened, and he edged away from her. She lay her hand on his shoulder, enduring the silent rejection indicated by his refusing to relax into her touch.

"What is it?" she asked, sliding her hand down his arm.

"Nothing," he lied, pulling his hand away from hers when she attempted to hold it.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

"Don't be such a chick," she snapped. He had given the typical angry woman's disingenuous answer of 'I'm fine' when he was obviously anything but fine.

She propped herself up on her elbow, leaning over his shoulder to see his face in the bluish moonlight that illuminated the room. His jaw was tightly clenched, the muscles working spasmodically under his skin in his simmering anger. Her fingers brushed across his cheek, moving over those muscles as if to still them and take away his ire.

"Kō, what is it?" she asked, pulling on his shoulder until he was lying flat on his back. She hovered over him, staring at him until his eyes met hers.

"Why did you kiss him?"

"What? But - "

"I saw you. You kissed him. Why?" he demanded through clenched teeth. His jealousy raged out of control like a storm in his reddish brown irises.

Despite the fury in his eyes, Callie ejected a derisive chortle in response. She couldn't believe he was so angry about that simple peck on the cheek. Then she remembered that she came from a different place, a different culture where what she had done was no big deal but to him such a display of affection meant something completely different.

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry," she apologized, pressing her hand to his cheek. His skin felt baby smooth and flawless, under her fingertips. His emotions were just as pristine; innocent and unhindered by heartbreaks suffered, tainted by biases created from these emotional slights.

"I forget myself sometimes. Where I come from, a kiss on the cheek isn't really a major thing. We kiss friends and family members like that. He is a friend." She paused, thinking about her relationship with Kei. "No, he's more like a little brother. That's how I see him."

"Oh, is it?" he returned, definitely less than convinced. "When is a kiss not just a kiss? When is it something more?"

"Hmmmm..." A lascivious grin tilted her lips into a sexy smirk. "Well, I've kissed you in places I'd never kiss him."

"Like where?" The edge of his mouth twitched with the hint of a smile which he turned downward into a frown. He acted like he wanted to stay angry with her.

She was not going to allow him hold onto his anger. She lowered her mouth to his, pressing her lips to his. Her mouth fitted to his with exciting familiarity, lingering until he reacted by returning the light pressure. "I've never kissed him here."

"Where else?" he inquired, unable to keep the lopsided smile from his lips.

Callie smiled down at him. He looked so goofy and cute. His eyes had softened, regaining the usual tender, dreamy quality with which he gazed at her. The expression of a man in love. Her hand stroked over his head, her fingers running through his silky coppery hair. She puckered her lips and kissed his neck at the corner of his jaw below his earlobe. Her body tightened with a rush of exhiliration when a shiver raced through his body.

"Here."

"Mmmmm," he hummed in a sensual purr. His fingers tangled themselves into her hair, pushing it back to give him an unobstructed view of her face. "Is that all?"

"Uh uh," she replied. She dropped a kiss on the front of his throat over his Adam's apple. She continued to pepper kisses down his throat and across his chest. After her lips placed a peck on one of his tight pink nipples, her tongue lazily lolled over the stimulated flesh causing him to inhale sharply.

"Not there?" he moaned when her warm wet tongue lapped over his other nipple.

"Definitely not there."

Callie's head moved downward and the kisses became decidedly more arousing. Her mouth and hands slid across the rock hard muscles of his defined belly, drawing another moan of pleasure from his lips. Down, down, down until the coarse, curly pubic hair peeking over the top of his underwear tickled her lower lip.

"Kō?" Her tongue traced a seductive line along his lower abdomen while her fingers played across those sexy little lines that accentuated his pelvic bones. "Do you want a very special kiss?"

Kō shifted uncomfortably when her fingers curled under the elastic of his boxers. His eyelids separated but remained half closed, heavy with desire.

"Do you?" She tugged on his underwear, waiting for him to raise his hips.

"Yes," he answered breathlessly, raising his lower body so she could remove his boxers.

Callie commenced to kiss him in a way he would never forget. She teased him with feather-light pecks along his inner thighs until he was trembling. After planting a singular kiss on the satiny smooth head of his manhood, she took him on a mind-blowing journey of bliss introducing him to the joys of oral sex. Once he was spent, sweating and panting from an amazing release, she lay down beside him, putting her arm around his waist to hold him close.

"I do love you, you idiot. Don't ever doubt that," she chided him in a gentle whisper in his ear.

"I know. I'm just new to this whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing," he puffed, still trying to catch his breath. "And speaking of new things." He turned to her kissing her hard on the mouth. He traced her lips with his forefinger, staring into her eyes. "Oh, my god. That was incredible."

"I'm glad you liked it." She bowed her head toward him, receiving a kiss on the forehead while she snuggled into him.

A contented, relaxed quietness engulfed them. His hand patted her thigh that had been thrown across his middle and lay on his belly. Eventually, his hand stopped moving and his breathing regulated itself into muted, steady inhales and exhales.

"Callie?" he called, making her jump from the unexpected sound breaking the silence. "Sorry," he chuckled lowly.

"What is it?"

"Are you really going to go along with Kei's plan?"

"You heard?" she mumbled.

"Of course I heard. I'm not deaf. Or stupid," he muttered irritably. He managed to sound like an excessively pouty child.

"I never said you were stupid."

"So...are you going to go along with his plan?" he repeated insistently.

Callie sighed experiencing a simultaneous rush of fear and anger from the thought of finally confronting her grandfather.

"Yeah. Kei is convinced it's the best way to proceed. To make Satō show himself. To make him angry enough to make a mistake. From what I've learned about him, Satō's a man who doesn't like to be threatened or feel like he's in a weak or vulnerable position."

"You're right about that," he agreed, turning onto his side to pull her to him with an arm around her shoulders. "But it's a dangerous thing to purposely put yourself on Satō's radar. Kei of all people should know that. Satō is cruel and relentless when he decides to pursue you for whatever reason. Kei knows this firsthand."

"And you? Did you experience this as well?"

"I had a run in with him when I thought I wanted to join his cause. It's a terrible and frightening thing when the man or one of his cronies is running after you with the intent to kill you. If anyone can figure out how to kill an immortal, he will."

"Do you think he'd try to kill me?" She put her arm around his waist, burrowing her face into the space created by his prominent pectorals.

"Yeah. I do." He grabbed a fistfull of her hair, tugging lightly to pull her head back so she would look at him. "You don't have to do this."

"I know. But I need to. Something needs to be done about Satō. His plan may be committing genocide against humans right now, but how do we know that won't extend to Ajins, his own kind, later? He's already tried to do away with you and Kei. He's sure to start killing Ajins in the future for whatever reason."

Callie recalled the inexplicable thrill she had experienced when she had killed Kei. The heady rush of excitement had been akin to a sexual climax; strong and overwhelming, imparting a sense of elation and power that made one feel godlike for a brief moment in time.

A game. Satō viewed all of this like a game despite playing with real lives, human and Ajin alike. Maybe he pursued it like a gamer pursues defeating the big boss of a game for the overall win. He chases that high of ultimate victory like a junkie chases his next fix.

Callie whimpered when a pain jabbed her in the temple like a knife jamming itself into her brain. Thinking about it was giving her a headache. She needed to understand her grandfather to be able to play his game. Her body bent into a fetal position while she lay next to Kō.

"Hey, try not to think about it," he murmured with his lips next to her forehead.

"I don't want to. But I can't help it," she added, groaning in self-pity

"I've got an idea of how to make you _not_ think about it," he said, jostling her around violently in his attempt to turn her over on her back.

"By shaking it out of me?" she giggled when he hovered over her with a silly grin on his face.

"No," he answered pointedly, jerking up her t-shirt to reveal her bare breasts. He kissed each nipple then went back to suckle and nip each one in turn until she was moaning his name. "I have other ideas. I'm going to shake you all right."

Callie bit her lower lip to hold back another moan when his lips drifted across her quivering belly. She arched her back, pushing her body at his mouth when his tongue circled her belly button before daring to go lower.

"But you've never done this before," she protested when he removed her shorts and underwear.

"There's a first time for everything. I want to learn. You're a good teacher. Teach me," he whispered with a provocative smile on his lips. "And when I make mistakes, I get to do it over and over again until I get it right."

"Oh, god," she breathed when his silky hair tickled her sensitive inner thighs.

Kō was a quick study. He listened diligently to her instructions following her every request. How he heard him she had no idea considering her legs were wrapped securely around his head. True to his word, he continued his oral ministrations with vigor until she devolved into a tremoring mass incapable of thought and barely able to string two words together in intelligible speech.

"How was that?" he questioned her, taking her quivering body into his arms. He pulled the sheet over them, mistakenly believing that she was cold.

Quite the contrary. Callie had never been so hot in her life. Having to tell him what to do had added a new and arousing aspect to sex she had not expected. She clung to him, awash in a sea of orgasmic delight that numbed her brain and made her tingle from head to toe. This was so much more effective than alcohol to calm her and make her forget everything.

"Callie." His voice came to her as if he were far away like he was calling her in a dream. "Callie."

"Mmmm, what?" she whined, nuzzling his chest with her nose.

"I love you."

"I know," she yawned, hugging him with strength she did not know she had left in her. Her bones felt like putty and her muscles felt as if they had liquefied. His idea had worked fabulously.

"Don't you love me too?"

"What did I tell you earlier?"

"Say it again. I like to hear it."

"I love you, Kō." She squeezed him until he made a wheezing sound while trying to breathe. "I love you, I love you, I love you."

"I'll never get tired of hearing that."

"I have a request," she said, leaning her head back to see his face.

"What is it?" He kissed her lips quickly before she started speaking again.

"Don't ever get tired of loving me."

"I won't."

 _Please, Kō, I need you. I need your strength, your love._ Callie had always seen loving someone as a weakness for this very reason. She had never needed any man before in her life. And that scared the hell out of her more than anything else in this terrifying new world of being an Ajin.


	19. Chapter 19

An annoyed sigh burst through Callie's pursed lips after taking stock of the food in the house. Provisions were frightfully low. Of course, she had not planned on feeding three people, two of those people being young men. She had planned on drinking and smoking more than eating so she had bought her supplies according to plan. A trip to the village Farmer's Market was definitely in order.

Spooning what was left of the ground coffee into the filter, she started mentally compiling a shopping list. She did not hear Kei entering the kitchen behind her because her mind was fixated on what to buy.

"Morning," he said, standing close behind her.

"Oh, Jesus!" she cried out, almost dropping the glass coffee decanter in the sink while trying to fill it with water.

"Not even close," he chuckled, a little too amused by startling her.

"Dammit, Kei!" she exclaimed, punching him in the arm.

"Ow!" He rubbed his sore bicep. Her strength still amazed. Such a small and unassuming bundle of humanity packed with muscles and the strength of a man twice her size.

"I've already called and made arrangements for a ride to the village. Mr. Yamaguchi will be here in a while to get me."

"You couldn't just walk?"

Callie swung her head to glare at him. Walking to the market was not a viable option because the trip was at least three miles one way. Her only choice would be to call the man who had rented her this house for a ride. He had driven her out here after all and offered his chauffeur services then. Whatever she needed, whenever she needed it, he would gratefully assist. At the time, his proposal had creeped her out because he had added a licentious wink hinting he meant more than a ride in his car. But now, she would have to take him up on his offer. For the car ride only. Ugh.

"We need to make the video before you leave."

"Now? Really?" she sighed, rolling her eyes.

"You didn't get much sleep last night did you?" Kei inquired, raising his eyebrow questioningly.

"Shhhh!" she hissed, pressing her finger to her lips. "It's too early to talk to you. I need coffee."

"You need a muzzle. You're loud," he retorted, receiving another punch in the arm. This time she hit him with enough force to make him stumble sideways. "Oh, so grumpy. You do need coffee."

Pulling the pot from the coffee maker despite the fact it was still brewing, Kei filled her cup then handed it to her.

"When you're done with that, come to the living room," he commanded her gruffly.

"Yes, sir," she muttered, lifting the cup to her mouth.

While sipping the coffee, Callie padded back into the bedroom. She opened the top drawer of the desk retrieving the letters written by her grandmother, the woman who had loved a man named Samuel T. Owen with all of her heart. She also gathered the pictures scattered across the bottom of the drawer. All of the photos were black and white but some had been tinted with flashes of color. Flipping through each snapshot, she smiled a bittersweet smile. She missed her grandmother. She still hated her grandfather. Her eyes studied the photograph of the young man and woman standing in front of a barn.

Her grandmother was fifteen and Samuel was sixteen. Samuel T. Owen was the only son of the Owen family who owned a neighboring farm where she worked during the summer months. She was hopelessly in love the gangly young man with eyes harder than marbles.

Calliope was her grandmother's name; named after the muse called the Chief of Muses, the source of epic poetry and possessor of a lovely singing voice, not the steam powered organ notoriously employed by traveling circuses in the time of her youth. She looked like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz to Callie.

Calliope was wearing a gingham dress, a checkered pattern in white and some unknown color since the photograph was in black and white. Her hair had been styled in twin braids that lay against her chest. The love of her life standing beside her was wearing denim overalls over an oversized shirt with the long sleeves rolled up to his elbows and well worn work boots.

Like her namesake, Calliope had fallen in love with a god of war. Samuel T. Owen would become Satō, the immortal monster who would declare war on the human race.

Callie could understand why her grandmother fell in love with him. Although she would never admit it to anyone, her grandfather was an extremely handsome young man man with finely chiseled features reminiscent of the statues of Greek gods. A dirty Georgia farm boy poorer than the dirt that he tilled to plant crops, he had meant everything to her grandmother. To love a monster. That was true love. Or pure insanity.

"I love you, grandma," she whispered, kissing the glossy surface fo the photo over her grandmother's face.

Her eyes slid over the sleeping form of the man she adored. She bent over him, kissing his lips. Unlike sleeping beauty, he did not awaken after a kiss from his true love. Of course, this was no fairytale. Far from it.

"It's time to do this. Just go," she urged herself, dreading what she was about to do.

Before leaving the room, she grabbed the copy of Samuel T. Owen's military record that she had been able to get her hands on by jumping through some extremely unconventional and illegal hoops. This record had no redactions, no black marks obscuring the words and keeping secret information forever a secret.

Kei was sitting cross legged on the floor boredly flipping through television channels. He looked out of place not being on her computer feverishly researching something. His hand absentmindedly rubbed the back of his neck. Perhaps this whole situation caused him undue stress as well. His passive, unemotional face betrayed no such anxiety.

For the past few weeks, he had been working hard with Kō to get into shape. All of them were preparing for the unknown battle to come. That battle was about to be set off with this video. An electronic powder keg made possible by modern technology. Knowledge truly is power. Boom.

"Kei." She refrained from laughing when he jerked in reaction to her voice. They were all on edge. The tension had reached a critical level for the unflappable Kei to be nervous.

Callie," he returned in his usual snarky fashion. He had not lost his touch in the fine art of being a smart ass. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be," she sighed, sitting down on the couch. She would never be ready for this. _Just do it._

She organized the items on the coffee table in front of her, quickly putting together a script in her head to keep her mind from rampaging through all sorts of negative scenarios. So much could go wrong. So many bad things could happen to them and others; innocent bystanders, men, women, and children who were unknowingly part of something sinister by simply being human. Innumerable unknowns made it easy for this plan to go sideways in dozens of unforeseen ways.

Kei flipped the computer around so that the screen and the camera faced her. "When you're ready, press this button," he said, pointing at the space bar.

"Okay," she exhaled noisily. Her throat tightened making her doubt she could speak. Her heart lurched toward her ribs like it wanted to leap from her chest. It hurt to inhale.

"Hey," he murmured, laying his hand over hers that was pressed flat on the table. "Breathe."

Callie closed her eyes, forcing herself to inhale and exhale evenly. Her breath stuttered when she released it. She pushed her lips up into a smile when he squeezed her hand to reassure her. He wasn't always an emotional black hole.

"You can do this," he encouraged her. "Open your eyes, and press the key."

Callie took one more cleansing breath, extricating her hand from his. She sat up straight and tall, pressing the space bar.

"Hello, Satō. You don't know me, but I know you. Well, I know you're my grandfather," she said, fumbling for the correct words. Her eyes flicked to Kei, receiving a nod from him to continue. She picked up the photo of the young Samuel and her grandmother, holding it in front of the camera. "Do you remember this woman? She loved you dearly. She became pregnant. She had a son. Your son. The man who would become my father. Did you know you had a family of your own, Samuel Owen?"

She paused at this point, allowing his name to hang in the air. It would give him a moment to think about things, to run through the filing cabinet of his mind to pull out memories of a long forgotten past. Her hands clutched the letters, holding them up next.

"Of course you knew. All of these letters were returned, but not before they were opened and read. There's also something else I know about you," she said, picking up his military record. She began to read straight from the paper, "Samuel T. Owen. Marine Corp recruit. Joined 1969. San Diego."

Callie rolled her eyes to the ceiling as if deep in thought, calculating something. "Let's see. If you joined in 1969, that means you were only seventeen. Liar, liar, pants on fire," she taunted, wagging her finger. "Naughty, naughty. You ran like a scared little boy to join the Marines when you found out you were going to be a father. Shame on you."

Callie returned Kei's crooked little smirk. They both knew Satō would be livid, enraged by her air of superiority, her jeering. Not to mention how her knowledge of his deepest buried secrets would enrage him.

"Member of an ultra elite group of soldiers. Deployed to Vietnam. Dishonorably discharged. There's details in here, but I'm sure you already know those," she added, tossing the file aside. She leaned forward toward the camera, gazing intently at the screen as if she were actually looking into his eyes. "I am your granddaughter, Samuel T. Owen. My name is Callie. I was named after my grandmother, the woman who gave birth to your son. The woman you ran out on when she needed you most. If you don't want the world to know who you really are, that you're nothing more than a scared, gutless turd, you need to find me. Come and get me, you bastard."

Callie tapped the space bar, shutting off the camera. She flopped back on the couch, breathing heavily as if she had been running. Clammy sweat beaded on her forehead and over her top lip. Her body trembled. She did not move when she felt the couch shift beside her under Kei's weight. Although her first instinct was to shove him away when his arms encompassed her, her body would not cooperate by moving.

"That was fantastic!" he exclaimed, retracting his arms from around her shuddering body.

Kei suddenly became aware of his inappropriate action, a crimson blush heating his entire face and creeping down his neck to disappear under the collar of his white t-shirt. He launched himself off the couch, returning to his position on the floor on the other side of the table. He turned the computer back around and typed with loud, hard taps on the keys.

"You did great," he complimented. "This is sure to get a response from him."

 _I'm actually afraid of that. Who knows what that response will be?_ She closed her eyes, concentrating on calming herself down.

"You two need to stay out of sight when Mr. Yamaguchi gets here," she warned him, standing up to walk to the bathroom. She needed a shower after that. Heavy sweating induced by fear stank something awful.

"Hey, Callie," he called to her before she could walk away.

"Yeah?" She half turned her upper body, looking over her shoulder at him. She did not have the time for a casual conversation. She needed to be ready and the two of them needed to disappear before the landlord arrived to take her to the market.

"Have you ever done something, made a decision, that you knew was going to hurt someone terribly, but it was for their own good...to protect them?"

Callie's belly clenched into a tight knot of apprehension when he gazed at her with sad, apologetic eyes. Yes would be her answer. Who hadn't had to make a decision like that at least once in their life? Instead of answering candidly, she feigned ignorance and confusion.

"I don't understand what you mean. What are you talking about? What have you done, Kei?"

"Nothing," he mumbled, his attention reverting back to the computer. He needed to prepare the video to send to Satō. "Forget I asked."

Callie showered hurriedly in cold water to cool her body and clear her mind. Afterwards, she tiptoed into the bedroom, entering as quietly as possible since Kō was still sleeping. She dropped her towel to pull a plain, pale yellow sundress over her head. Once she donned her white sandals with a single strap across her toes and another around her ankle, she sat down on the bed beside Kō's still body.

She hated to wake him, but she wanted to tell him good-bye. She had the sinking feeling they would be separated for a while. Her heart fluttered anxiously like a caged bird inside her chest. Hopefully not forever.

She also felt the uncontrollable need to tell him how she felt about him one more time. The misgivings spawned by Kei's odd question had grown, causing the knot in her stomach to form into a heavy stone of worry that made her feel slightly nauseated. She kept telling herself she was being uncharacteristically paranoid and that Kei was being his typical weird, subversive self.

Callie combed her fingers through Kō's short hair that was the color of a ripe, sweet orange. A smile curled her lips as she stared him. He looked so young, so innocent while asleep. He really did look much younger than his actual age.

Lying on his side, he had placed one arm under his pillow, the other lying bent in front of him with his hand positioned close to his mouth in a way that gave the illusion he was sucking on his thumb. She leaned down, pressing a kiss to temple. He stirred and groaned, his long eyelashes moving against his lightly tanned cheek that had developed freckles from spending hours in the sun. After placing a kiss on his cheek, she sat back up in time to see his eyes pop open.

"Good morning, my love," she greeted him in a hushed voice, stroking his head.

"Hi," he yawned, putting an arm around her waist. He pulled her close, burrowing his head in her lap.

"I'm going into the village today. To the Farmer's Market."

"I'll come with you," he said, kicking the sheet off of his body while trying to sit up.

"No, you stay here and rest," she insisted, pushing him back down onto the pillows.

"I'll miss you," he murmured, brushing his fingers through her loose brown hair that had taken on a red tint after being bleached by the sun.

"Yeah," she sniffed, suddenly finding her eyes filled with tears. "I'll miss you too."

Whatever was going to happen, she did not want him to be part of it. Besides, Mr. Yamaguchi would find it highly suspect for her to arrive alone then suddenly appear with a mysterious male companion. She also knew what kind of licentious thoughts the covert pervert would think as well.

"What's wrong?" Kō asked, pulling her head down to his chest.

Callie spread her fingers across his bare chest. She pressed her ear to his heart that beat strong and steady, comforting her.

"Are you all right?" he asked, stroking her hair.

"I'm fine," she lied more convincingly than he had last night. "I love you, Kō." She kissed his lips, quickly and sweetly. "No matter what happens, remember that."

"I love you, too. With all of my heart," he returned, embracing her with both arms around her body.

Callie hoped that in the darkened room he could not see her tears. She swiped at them with the back of her hand before they could fall onto his chest.

A horn sounded outside making her flinch in his arms. Immediately his grip on her loosened. She didn't want to go. Dropping her arms from around him, she stood and turned away.

"I have to go," she announced unnecessarily, exiting the room.

Callie could feel Kei's eyes on her as she passed through the living to the front door.

"Callie."

Callie held her breath when his arms ensconced her shoulders in an awkward, backwards hug. She knew Kō would be watching from the bedroom door. She hoped they didn't get into a fight once she left.

"You're the strongest person I've ever known. Not just physically but emotionally," he said, squeezing her tightly to his chest. "We'll see you again. Real soon. I promise."

"Yeah, sure," she muttered, keeping a tight reign on her wildly roiling emotions.

"Callie..."

"Just let me go, Kei. Let it happen. Whatever you've set in motion, it's too late to stop it now anyway. Isn't it?"

"I suppose so." He dropped his arms from around her but did not move away from her. "I believe that one day you'll understand. That you might even forgive me."

"Maybe."

Callie gnawed on the inside of her cheeks to hold back her tears and keep from uttering the myriad of nasty words sitting on the tip of her tongue. She plastered a brave smile onto her face when she saw Mr. Yamaguchi's beaten up little gray clunker sitting in the overgrown yard.

"Your chariot awaits, young lady," he announced with a big smile when she met him several yards from the house.

"Thank you so much for doing this. I unexpectedly ran low on food," she chattered brightly. "I suppose the sea air perked up my appetite."

Sliding into the backseat, she avoided looking back at the house while the car drove away bumping along the rudimentary path cut through the tall grass by his arrival. If she looked back, she might lose her nerve to continue on with this date with destiny that had not been part of her plan but someone else's.

Upon arriving at the outdoor market, Callie found it increasingly more difficult to shore up her courage and put on a happy face. She bid her friendly volunteer driver good bye with a promise to meet him back at the same spot in two hours despite already knowing she would not keep that appointment.

Strolling through the stalls, Callie tried to enjoy the sights and scents of the market. The proprietors offered an assortment of flowers, fruits, and vegetables along with an array of homemade items including everything from baked goods and jellies to clothing and pottery.

People conversed cheerily, smiling and laughing with their friends and neighbors. Never before had she felt so terribly alone. Her status as an outsider became painfully clear, making her gut ache. As a foreigner, she immediately garnered their attention receiving a combination of wary glares and curious stares. When she spoke to them in their language, they did not act quite so suspicious of her. Her accent and overall grasp of Japanese had gotten much better due to her time spent with Kei and Kō.

Just as she was beginning to relax, and genuinely enjoy herself, a prickling sensation raced up the back of her neck raising the fine hairs like little antennae. A cold chill trickled down her spine like ice water when the sensation of being watched became more pronounced. Someone was not only observing her, but she could sense a restrained yet marked malicious intent. It could not be her grandfather because the video had probably just been sent. Who could it be?

Picking up a large sunflower that was almost the same circumference of her face, Callie pretended to inhale the subtle fragrance of the flower while casting a glance around to find the person watching her. Unable to find her mysterious observer using such a cursory glimpse, she decided to buy the flower which afforded her another opportunity to scan the area. While digging for money in her purse, she 'accidentally' dropped her bag onto the ground. Apologizing profusely while scrambling to fetch the spilled items, her eyes skimmed the people around her.

Her eyes lit on a man with white hair wearing jeans and a button down navy blue shirt that was left open to reveal a white t-shirt underneath. _There he is! Oh, god, no. Why Kei?_ She recognized this man from his picture on the computer from the page that Kei had left open during his research.

Yū Tosaki glowered at her, his eye blue eyes hidden behind the glare on his glasses. A young woman with short black hair that flipped up on the ends and angry eyes the color of storm clouds stood beside him. She was wearing a frilly white sundress decorated with tiny cherries to fit in with the other patrons at the market. A black mummy like creature with a head that came to a rounded point like he was wearing a hood stood behind her.

The fact the woman is an Ajin shocked Callie. And apparently she also acted as the man's bodyguard, further surprising her. How could that woman do such a thing? Wasn't she being a traitor to herself and her own kind by protecting the man who had been hell bent on capturing Ajins and experimenting on them? She instantly hated this woman with an intensity beyond reason, not unlike the man standing beside her.

Callie plastered a placid smile on her face directed at the vendor while completing the purchase of the sunflower before walking toward the two people. There was no reason to run. It would only cause a scene and people could get hurt. She would not resist being taken by them. That's why they were here after all - to capture her. Kei better have a damn good reason for doing this to her.

 _"I believe that one day you'll understand. That you might even forgive me."_ His words repeated in her head.

 _Not any time soon, asshole,_ she thought bitterly. Her teeth clicked together painfully when she gritted them hard to keep from crying out after Tosaki seized her by the arm.

"I won't run. Can't you see I'm not resisting?" she growled, trying to jerk her arm away. His grip tightened until the bruising force of his fingers cutting into her arm made her stop moving. "You don't have to be so rough!"

A few people turned to look at them when she cried out. Tosaki leaned in closer to her, loosening his grip ever so slightly. Before Tosaki could speak to issue a warning to her, his cell phone rang. He snatched the phone out of the breast pocket of his over-shirt, his eyebrows drawing together to show his aggravation at the interruption. He pressed the green answer button on the screen before bringing the phone to his ear.

"I'm guessing you have her by now?"

Kei's voice reached Callie's ears as clearly as if he was on speaker. Bastard.

"Yes," Tosaki replied, giving her a once over with a jaundiced eye. "She's remarkably compliant...just like you said she would be."

A sneer stretched his thin lips when he looked over Callie again with the discerning eye of a doctor examining a patient. His fingers tightened again making her whimper. Apparently he did not trust her or Kei and was not going to take a chance on her fleeing after all.

Tosaki did not have the type of voice Callie expected. He was soft spoken, his voice light and smooth toned, not deep at all. He did not sound dangerous either. Had they met under different circumstances, she would have believed he was a kind man. The hand holding her arm, applying pain inducing pressure, and the fact she was about to be forcibly taken prisoner despite her submission made her think differently of him.

"Remember what I said, if you harm her in any way, I will kill your fiancée, Ai," Kei threatened, his voice more menacing than she had ever heard it.

"When do we meet? You're the one I want to talk to," Tosaki growled.

"Soon. I'll contact you in a few days to tell you the time and place. Put her on the phone," he commanded Tosaki whose glower deepened, becoming more forbidding. "I want to know she is okay."

Tosaki thrust the phone in her face, barking, "Here!"

Callie took the phone, pressing it to her ear. "Goddamn you, Kei, when I see you again I'm going to kill you over and over again until - "

"Callie, shut up for a second!" he yelled at her before she could gear up for a full on tirade.

"Callie, are you all right?" Kō's voice, strained and tight, came across the phone.

"Oh, god, sweetheart," she gushed breathily, the tears surging upward and over her lower eyelids to stream down her cheeks.

"Are you hurt?" He sounded panicked.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm not hurt...at all," she assured him, glaring hotly at Tosaki who let go of her arm. Apparently he'd rather risk her flight over losing his arm that she would gladly rip off and beat him with.

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea this was part of his plan."

"I believe you. Neither did I. Obviously Kei has a grand plan that we know nothing about," she snarled, partly convinced of her statement.

The other half of her feared that Kei was being a vindictive little bastard again. If he was acting out of jealousy because of the relasionship between her and Kō, she would take her time torturing him, then kill him - over and over and...

"I love you. I'll see you again soon. I promise," Kō swore.

Kei had made the same vow to her sans the warm and fuzzy sentiment. "I love you too."

"Call's over," Tosaki proclaimed, snatching the phone out of her hand. "Nagai - "

"Soon, Tosaki."

"Dammit," the white haired man hissed under his breath angrily, signalling that Kei had ended the call. "Let's go."

Tosaki gingerly took her by the arm to lead her to a black sedan on the other side of the market. The woman walked behind her in case the idea of escape entered Callie's head.

Callie allowed her tears to fall unchecked. She had begged Kei to trust her to make his plan work, but at the moment, she was not placing any trust in him. She had incorrectly assumed that trusting her meant he would lay out all of the details for her; that he would elaborate on her exact role in the scheme, outlining her actions and responsibilities. It had never occurred to her how much she would have to trust him. She did not like the way this was unfolding one bit. Unfortunately, all of her choices had been taken away. The only thing left for her to do was blindly trust him.


	20. Chapter 20

"Goddammit, Kei!" Kō bellowed furiously, throwing the cellphone.

"Hey!" Kei yelled, diving for the phone. He caught it before it crashed to the floor and shattered into pieces. "That's our only way to communicate with her, man! What the hell?"

Kō waited for Kei to stand back up before swinging at him as hard as he could. His fist contacted Kei's jaw, jostling him to the side and down to the floor with a thud.

Kei grunted when his ass made contact with the bare wooden floorboards. Convinced his tailbone had been shattered, he simply laid down on the floor and refused to move. Sadly for him, Kō had not finished taking out his anger on him yet.

Kō straddled his friend turned enemy's belly and commenced to raining blows down on his face. Blood spattered on the tatami mats and white walls not covered by the furniture that took the brunt of the splatter. Bone crunched under his fists, but he kept battering the man he viewed as a traitor.

Kei let him. He offered no resistance, permitting Kō to release his blind fury. When a pair of strong hands, further empowered by rage, seized him by the neck, he grabbed at them. While his trachea was being crushed, he clawed at the backs of the hands choking the life out of him. Through the slit of one swollen eye, he could see Kō's face: bright red , covered with tears and snot, his teeth locked together in his effort to finish the job he had begun. He deserved this. Dropping his hands, he embraced death to make the pain stop, to make Kō stop before he dropped over the precipice of sanity into complete madness. He would hate to have to kill a grieving man to bring him back to his senses.

Minutes later, upon reawakening, Kei rubbed his sore throat, coughing as he sat up. Glancing around him, his upper lip peeled away from his teeth in disgust at the sight of the living room redecorated in his blood. Seeing Kō curled up in a ball nearby crying his eyes out like a child deepened his distaste for this whole awful scene.

"Pull yourself together, Kō," he ordered the distraught man. He struggled to his feet, still weak from the encounter. "I'm going to take a shower. You clean up this mess. We don't want Callie to lose her deposit."

Actually, the deposit didn't matter since she would not be returning here anyway. But they did not want the landlord thinking a murder took place in here either, although it had.

Upon emerging from the bathroom, Kei found his companion sitting on the couch drinking a beer. He draped the towel over his dripping wet head to soak up some of the water. Dressed only in jeans, he crossed room to the couch.

Kō aimlessly stared off into space, his face puffy and pink from all of the crying. He had cleaned up all the blood and the room reeked of bleach.

"Over it?" Kei asked harshly.

"No," came the reply with an equal amount of acid lacing the single word. "I'm not _over it._ "

"I did it for her own good. She'll be safe with Tosaki," he assured his less than convinced friend. He dropped down on the couch beside him.

"How do you figure that?" Kō finished the beer and glared at the empty can in disappointment.

"Because he is surrounded by men carrying guns. He has now gone into hiding to protect himself from Satō. She's safer with him than with us. Besides, we have something we need to do."

"And what would that be?" he grumbled.

Kei could tell that Kō was going to be reluctant to follow the next part of his plan. To be reunited with Callie, he would have to go along.

"Get ready for another swim. We're going to the mainland. We're going to bring Tosaki to us to discuss our terms. Soon, we'll be under his protection as well."

"Why? Why would he help us?" Kō made no attempt to hide his uncertainty of the plan's chance of success.

"Because we're going to agree to be his pawns. We're going to help him fight Satō. Callie is the bait to bring the elusive Satō out into the open. We're the soldiers who are going to fight the war against him. With back up of course."

"And if Tosaki doesn't agree, his fiancee will die and Callie becomes a lab rat. Great plan."

"It will work. His fiancee won't need to die, and Callie will be fine. Let's go. We've got a long swim."

"I can't swim. You know that."

"I know. I've charted the currents. We'll drown and our bodies will be washed ashore somewhere around dawn tomorrow. It will be no different than the Navy SEALS making a drop in the ocean then swimming to the beach to infiltrate undetected. We'll wake up and head inland for our mission."

"Except we don't know what the fuck we're doing," Kō snickered in a distinctly mocking manner. "And we damn sure aren't Navy SEALS."

"It will work. I put a lot of research and planning into this," Kei assured him.

"Yeah. Okay. Whatever. You are the man with the plan."

"Always."

Kei had full confidence in himself and his plan. He was smarter than any of those assholes including Tosaki and Satō. This would work. He had a plan to save them all; himself, Kō, and Callie, to give them a new life.

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Author's Note: I know this chapter was really, REALLY short but I wanted their little debacle to be a stand alone scene. It also serves as a transition into a whole new aspect of the story in its brevity. Thanks for reading! I hope you're enjoying the story so far!


	21. Chapter 21

Author's Note: Rather than splitting these two chapters into two short chapters and one really long chapter, I separated them by events that were happening simultaneously or in close proximity to each other. Some events and details from the manga and anime have been changed in keeping with the spirit of fanfiction. I hope you enjoy these chapters. Thank you for reading!

* * *

Samuel T. Owen, the man presently known as Satō, stared impassively at the computer screen while rewatching the video for the third time. His shock and anger had dissipated into stone cold numbness. The young woman had balls, big brass ones, to act so brazenly in an attempt to incite his rage.

The corner of his mouth twitched, rising into a derisive smirk. Despite his initial hostility, he could not stop the undercurrent of respect gradually decimating his contempt. Besides, she was his granddaughter.

He believed her. How could he not? She possessed proof in pictures in addition to official documents to back up her claim. Not only could he feel it on a gut level no matter how much he tried to deny it, he could see it by looking at her. She shared many of his characteristics, both physical and emotional. She looked like him when he was a child. Where his face had become hard angles and sharp corners, she retained the roundness common to youth and typical of her gender. Her eyes were like her grandmother's, his sweet Calliope. They were big, round, and hazel, a beautiful mixture of gold, green, and brown.

He paused the video, zooming into the black and white photo of his first and only love. The teenage boy he used to be stood beside her. He no longer recognized that young man as himself because it had been so long since he had been that person.

His fingers traced his lovely Calliope's face. Callie. He had called her Callie. His granddaughter had been named after her.

Being a dumb sixteen year old kid, he had believed that Calliope could save him from himself, could save him from the murderous urges, the uncontrollable yearning to kill, that had plagued him since he was a young child. He believed that her love alone would enable him to love, to finally feel something real for another person. Sadly, for her, he was wrong.

He recalled the time his father had found him the barn, covered in blood. He was only seven years old and had experienced his first murderous rampage. Despite being a child, he had indiscriminately killed a dozen or more random animals on the farm including rats, cats, dogs, and one fatally wounded horse. His bare hands were his main weapons. He also used improvised weapons made from sticks that he sharpened or nails he found from repairs being made on the barn. Afterward as he stood panting, his blood coursing through his veins, giddy with excitement he did not understand. In the end, he had not felt a single drop of remorse.

When his father saw him, the man could not move at first; only glimpse around himself at the bloody carnage in stupefied, wide eyed horror. Then the old man commenced to give him a beating he would never forget. Using the wide leather belt that held up his loose dungarees, his father had flogged little Samuel until the stripes inflicted on his back, arms, and legs bled.

Then his father did something that had shocked him: the stoic, hard faced farmer began to cry before taking his beaten and bloodied child into his beefy arms. The old man had cried for what seemed an eternity, begging him from the bottom of his heart not to be a murderer, to change, to love both animals and people. His father had forced him to promise not to harm any living creature ever again. Samuel had promised although he knew it would be a promise he could not keep. Unfortunately, it is impossible to turn away from one's basic nature, to ignore the compulsions present from birth. There are two kinds of killers: those born to kill and those made to kill. He was definitely part of the former group.

Samuel T. Owen suppressed his urges as long as he could. As luck would have it for him, a war broke out. He lied about his age and enlisted. After that, he was off to the killing fields in the name of duty to his country. A perfectly acceptable excuse to murder that would transform him into a hero rather than a psychopath. However, he was wrong about that too.

Satō pressed the play button, allowing the video to advance until his granddaughter's pretty face reappeared. A grin stretched his lips when she called him a 'scared, gutless turd.' She squeezed the insulting words out between her clenched teeth, foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog. Those few words were full of venom and fire conveying her hatred in no uncertain terms.

He sat back in his chair, rubbing his chin while he examined her eyes with great interest. Her eyes were frigid, impenetrable, as hard as the cat's eye marbles he had played with as a child. They were positively disturbing. He knew that distinct lack of emotion, the icy cruelty, the veritable black hole of inhumanity. He recognized that look in her eyes from seeing it in his own. The windows to the soul? What if the person had no soul? What if the only thing inside was nothing but an empty void?

"Come and get me you bastard," she taunted him on the video. Her eyes were unwavering, seeming to penetrate his through the computer screen.

"All right, girlie," he murmured, massaging his chin again. "Challenge accepted. I'll play your game."

"Satō!" Tanaka exclaimed, bursting through the door without knocking.

"What is it?" Satō sighed, irritated by the interruption.

"The computer geek believes he has found her. What do you want us to do?"

"Well, go get her of course. I believe a family reunion is in order."

\\..'../

* * *

Yū Tosaki studied the woman on the other side of the two way mirror. His side of the glass was reinforced with three inches of shatter resistant acrylic. He was also locked safely in a soundproof room separated from her by walls of six inches of solid concrete. Knowing she was the granddaughter of 'the man with the hat,' he was not taking any chances with his safety or that of his colleagues.

Satō had made it quite clear what he was capable of so Tosaki did not take the death threat lightly. Nor did he easily dismiss anyone associated with the man. He took the cell phone out of his jacket pocket to check it for the tenth time in the last hour. Damn. No missed calls or texts. He could not wait to get his hands on Nagai. It was only a matter of time, but his patience was becoming frayed.

He glowered sternly at the reticent, infuriating woman who kept her back turned to the glass. In the twenty-four hours since they had brought her to the compound, she had not spoken a word, refusing to give him any information on what Kei Nagai could be plotting. Perhaps she really did not know anything about whatever scheme Nagai had cooked up.

The thought had crossed his mind a time or two during the lengthy interrogation when she would stare straight through him with her hollow, sad eyes. Not once did he raise his voice or touch her. He doubted screaming or torturing her would do any good. She already looked miserable and tortured - like a mistreated animal. She stayed silent, never making eye contact with him. Actually, she had not even acknowledged being aware of his presence in the room. If she had heard anything he said to her, she gave no indication of it.

At the moment, she lay on the thin mattress on top of the metal cot bolted to the wall with her back to him, not moving a muscle. He was beginning to find it difficult to believe that this woman, a pathetic, depressed shell of a person, could be a menace or an actual serious threat to him like Satō or Nagai. Maybe she wasn't an Ajin at all.

"Dammit, Nagai," he exhaled, gritting his teeth in frustration. She could be nothing more than a distraction, an encumbrance delivered to him to put his attention elsewhere. He needed to know what that little asshole was up to so he could protect Ai. If that little bastard hurt her...

The young woman moved, her whole body shuddering uncontrollably. She was crying again.

He had not expected this. The Ajins he had encountered, including the one standing next him, Izumi Shimomura, were for the most part, devoid of emotion. They relied on rational thought and acted on carefully calculated responses.

"Why don't you go talk to her?" he suggested to Izumi.

"I'm not much for girl talk," she responded flatly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Of that he was sure. For a woman, she did not talk much. She made a good bodyguard. Silent, vigilant, strong, and immortal, she made an ideal shield to protect him. Unlike most men, having a woman protect him did not threaten his ego. Just like hiding out in a reinforced building full of armed associates did not bother him either. He found no shame in taking all precautions to ensure his mortality was not cut short. He had to stay alive. Ai needed him.

"This isn't a slumber party. I'm not expecting you to talk about your latest crush," he snapped, growing impatient. "You're clear to use whatever methods you see fit to get her to talk."

"I understand, sir," she rejoined, dropping her arms to hang loosely at her sides.

She exited the room to appear a few seconds later inside of the room with the captive woman named Callie Owen, the granddaughter of the notorious Ajin who threatened genocide against 'normal' humans.

Tosaki flipped the switch on the wall to turn on the speaker so he could hear everything being said in the next room.

"Do you know what Nagai's next step is?" Izumi questioned the woman to be unceremoniously ignored. "What is his objective? Will he really kill Ai? How did he find out about her?"

Nothing happened. Every question was met with stubborn silence. Tosaki watched as Izumi Shimomura formed her IBM. This action garnered an immediate and violent reaction from their prisoner.

A tall, thin Black Ghost appeared at the bedside of Callie Owen to stand between her and Shimomura's IBM. His long arms cut through the other Ghost at the chest to wrap around Izumi's shoulders in a bear hug. A shorter, evidently more vicious, black creature leapt from the prone woman's body onto the shoulders of her companion IBM to deliver a swift downward slash of her talons.

"What the hell..." the stunned Izumi muttered, staring wide eyed as her ghost burst into black particles that scattered and vanished. "Two?"

Callie sprung into action next. She jumped off the bed, rushing through her IBMs that disintegrated into the nothingness where they had sent their adversary. She seized Izumi by the throat. Despite being a short woman as well, Izumi Shimomura stood taller than her by a few inches. Obviously her strength surpassed the other woman's as Callie pushed her across the room. The non slip soles of the shoes Izumi wore squeaked in complaint while she was being dragged across the floor. The wall finally stopped Izumi from being bull dozed any further by the infuriated woman.

"Do not fuck with me. I am not in the mood," Callie warned, her fingernails digging into Izumi's skin while she clutched her throat more firmly. She pushed her palm hard against the woman's trachea, cutting off her airway.

Izumi immediately reformed her Black Ghost while the black and white spots of impending unconsciousness bloomed in the edges of her vision. The IBM grabbed the incredibly strong diminutive woman who was trying, and almost succeeding, in crushing his creator's windpipe. The Ghost threw the angry little woman against the wall like a rag doll, knocking her unconscious. Izumi dropped onto all fours, coughing and gasping for air while rubbing her damaged throat that pulsated with pain.

Tosaki switched on the microphone to issue an order to Shimomura.

"Get out of there. We have to rethink our strategy in order to deal with her."

"No shit, boss," she muttered in response to his casual statement of the obvious.

"Did you say something?" he demanded.

"No, sir." Izumi shakily stood to her feet, hearing the woman behind her groan in pain when she began to come around.

"I want to know one thing before you leave," Callie said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"And what is that?" the injured woman returned acidly.

"Why? Why are you his indentured servant?" Callie lifted her head, gazing up at Izumi from the floor where she had fallen into a crumpled heap.

"You wouldn't understand," she replied with unbridled contempt.

"Try me."

"Because he saved me. He protected me from an awful life filled with terrible people and their abuse. He has treated me..." She paused, casting a glimpse at the mirror knowing the man behind it was observing her closely. "He has treated me well and given me a good life I never would have had otherwise. He has given me a purpose and a desire to live when I no longer had one."

"Hmph," Callie grunted, slowly pushing herself up onto her hands and knees. She stood, swaying uncertainly before finding her balance. "I understand that better than you think."

"Why won't you tell us what you know?" Izumi inquired, testing the fragile new bond that had inexplicably formed between them in an instant.

"Because," she sighed, gingerly rubbing the back of her aching skull. "I don't know anything. That little shit didn't tell me a thing. I had no idea I was going to be intercepted and taken by you and Tosaki. That was a shock to me."

"Yeah, I could tell," she admitted, recalling the woman's shell shocked face when she had laid eyes on them. She watched as the other woman winced in pain, withdrawing her fingers from behind her head. There was blood on her fingertips.

"Damn," Callie hissed as a tremendous headache gripped her, thundering in her brain like a herd of elephants.

"Would you like an ice pack?"

"It would probably be better if you just kill me."

"I can help with that," Tosaki announced, appearing in the room as if by magic. He raised his gun equipped with a silencer to put a bullet through Callie Owen's brain.

Izumi flinched when the bullet exited the silencer attached to the gun with a seemingly impotent puff of air making a barely audible 'pfft' sound.

The projectile entered Callie's forehead, creating a small red hold before exiting at the base of her head and spraying blood and gray matter across the blindingly white wall behind her. For a few seconds she remained standing, her eyes overly wide while a thin trail of blood trickled from the wound to zigzag down between her eyebrows and the bridge of her nose. When she fell, she dropped straight down, folding into a fetal position on the unlined white tile floor. Her blood, thick and crimson, poured from her head forming a gruesome puddle that outlined her body.

Izumi waited and watched. She would not allow herself to betray the shock and disgust that surged inside of her since her boss was standing beside her. They both stood by in quiet anticipation of the Ajin's reanimation.

Time to see if Nagai had told him the truth about this woman. The little finger half submerged in the blood covering the floor twitched. He winced, unable to contain his revulsion. No matter how many times he saw it happen, seeing these _things_ suddenly come back to life creeped him out. It sent a chill down his spine that froze him through and through every time. It was like seeing 2-D horror movie fodder in disconcerting three dimensional clarity.

Yū Tosaki gritted his teeth against the vomit rising in his throat, forcing his body to remain still and nonreactive when her body jerked in a single intense spasm. A tingling numbness rushed through his body when his chilled blood started to flow again with the rising of her chest after a noisy inhalation. His eyes skirted over the macabre splash of blood and brain decorating the otherwise pristine white wall of the holding cell. He had blown her brains out, however, her body had repaired itself to allow her to live once more. The whole concept sickened him because it was so unnatural and an affront to humanity and science itself.

"Shimomura, get someone in here to clean up that mess."

"Yes, sir."

"Miss Owen," he began, turning his almost colorless, and definitely emotionless, blue eyes on her.

Callie sat dazed and confused in the pond of her own blood. Still a bit weak from having a bullet tear through her brain, her head hung downward and her eyes were closed to combat the dizziness. The whole dying and reviving process had a tendency to take quite a bit out of a person. She was quickly coming to the conclusion that she would never become accustomed to this bizarre process of death and rebirth.

"You should go take a shower, Miss Owen. I'll have my assistant bring you some clothes. There are towels under the sink. Everything else you might need is located in the cabinet over the toilet."

The private bath was the only thing that kept this room from being an official jail cell.

"You're not our prisoner here," he said as if he had read her mind.

 _The hell you say,_ Callie thought to herself without giving voice to the words.

The expression of repugnance on her face as she glimpsed around the room had given him an unmistakable clue of what she had been thinking. She should never be a poker player. Everything she thought showed plainly on her face. Apparently her shock at being placed firmly into their hands by a person she trusted, Kei Nagai, had enabled her to hide her true feelings during the interrogation. That also explained why she had kept her face hidden from him while being in this room after the astonishment of his betrayal had worn off. Tosaki now believed her assertion that she had no knowledge of Nagai's plans.

He also believed that she remained highly distrustful and suspect of him by the way she furiously glared at him while backing toward the bathroom. So she did express emotions besides sadness and self-pity. Of course, he had just seen her anger in action.

"What is it? Is there something else that you need?" he inquired when she stopped at the door without going inside.

"Why did you shoot me?" Her eyes drifted to the gun he held in his hand that was currently aimed at her belly.

"Because," he started, sliding the gun into the holster hidden under the light blue-gray jacket he was wearing, "you attacked my subordinate and injured her."

Callie nodded in understanding before backing into the bathroom.

When the door closed and the lock engaged with a click, Tosaki turned to leave the room. He did not care that she did not trust him. He punched in the code to secure the door once Izuma cleared the room. He did not trust Callie Owen either.


	22. Chapter 22

Callie massaged the coconut and lime scented shampoo into her hair for a third time. When she rinsed her hair, the water ran clear indicating that she had finally washed away the last remnants of her blood. She squeezed the bottle of similarly scented body wash into her palm before rubbing it over her body. She was going to smell like a fruity drink from a tourist trap on a tropical island. That was better than the alternative of the coppery stench of blood mixing with the obnoxious odor of pure fear. This was her second full body cleansing to ensure that there were no stray bits of brain matter left clinging to her skin in addition to obliterating the malodorous combination of blood and sweat. The thought of later finding a random piece of brain unexpectedly induced a shudder of horror.

Callie pressed her palms to the tiled shower enclosure, leaning forward so the hot water could beat down on her back. If only she could wash away the feeling of betrayal and loneliness. She kept telling herself that Kei had a good reason for turning her over to Yū Tosaki, however, her attempt at being logical failed to override her emotions. The constant tightness in her chest served as a physical reminder of how much she missed Kō. Her roiling emotions prevented her from thinking clearly and rationally.

A whimper like that of injured puppy escaped her lips before she could stop it. She slapped her hand over her mouth to hold back the sob that attempted to follow. What the hell was happening to her? Allowing herself to feel something for those boys, especially the deep seated romantic feelings she developed for Kō, had caused her to lose all control of her emotions. She would have to fight to regain her frigid, analytical side. She needed to be that woman more than ever right now.

"Are you all right?" Izumi Shimomura called.

Callie winced in response of the proximity of the woman's voice. When in the hell and how in the hell did she get in here? But naturally the guards had keys to prison.

Callie flipped the handle to turn off the shower. She pulled the towel off of the shower curtain rod where she had hung it before getting in. After wrapping it around her body, she cautiously stepped out of the tub taking great care not to slip on the slick floor.

Izumi Shimomura stood there with another fluffy white towel extended toward her.

"For your hair," she explained upon receiving a questioning stare.

"Oh," Calie mumbled, surprised yet pleased by her thoughtfulness. Taking the towel from her to blot her dripping wet hair, she smiled and said, "Thank you."

She walked out of the bathroom staring at the spotless white floor under her feet while absentmindedly dabbing at her hair to soak up the water. Her steps halted when she sensed Izumi observing her intently. When she raised her head, she saw Izumi's dark, intense eyes examining her with a pensive gaze, assessing her. She could see the woman was also trying to determine if she intended to attack her again.

"You know, the only reason I attacked you to begin with is because you attacked me first," Callie stated matter of factly. She received no comment in return. She had not been fishing for an apology but some kind of response would have been nice.

Izumi stood stiffly like a soldier at attention. She was wearing a dove gray pantsuit with a baby blue button down shirt underneath. Her shoes were plain brown loafers with an extraordinarily sensible heel. If they had been in the United States, Callie would have assumed her to be a Federal Agent of some sort.

It had not occurred to her until this moment that Izumi and her boss had worn color coordinating suits. She could not be sure that the color choice had been made on accident or simply because they had worked together for so long they were more like minded than either one of them wanted to believe. Izumi appeared to be completely devoted to Tosaki. He, on the other hand, seemed to tolerate her with an obligatory respect dictated by circumstances.

"You never did answer my question. Are you all right?" she repeated, scrutinizing Callie's every move.

"I suppose I'm okay. Considering I was shot in the head," she replied caustically, sitting down on the sorry excuse for a bed.

Once again, no apology or sarcastic retort came forth from Izumi Shimomura. Not a single word. God how this infuriatingly stoic woman reminded her of Kei.

"These are for you," Izumi said, holding out a pile of clothing in drab colors of black and gray.

Callie sighed and took the clothes. Beggars can't be choosers. Her dress had been ruined by all of the blood it had soaked up like a thirsty dish rag. She returned to the bathroom to dress without having to endure the scrutiny of those piercing eyes of her mostly silent observer. The black yoga pants were tight, hugging her curves and muscular thighs like second skin. In contrast, the gray sweatshirt was two sizes too big and dropped off of one shoulder no matter how she tried to adjust it. No bra and no panties. Ah, yes, this felt incredibly awkward.

When Callie reemerged from the bathroom, she was not surprised to see the woman standing in the exact spot and holding her soldier's stance. She blew out an exasperated breath and crossed the room in front of Izumi to sit down in one of the hard plastic chairs placed at the round metal table in the room.

"You're not a prisoner here," Izumi proclaimed.

Her captors were trying far too hard to convince her that she was not jail for it to not be the truth.

"Oh, really? Judging by my surroundings and the fact that was I taken against my will, I thought for sure I was a prisoner," Callie retorted unable to stop the sarcasm from bubbling out. "Silly me. My mistake."

"You came of your volition," she reminded her.

"Only because I didn't want to cause a scene or hurt any bystanders unnecessarily. Otherwise, I would have went at you, hard and fast, like I did earlier. I would have incapacitated you and killed your master."

Izumi visibly flinched at the second blatant insult referring to her as a servant. "That's an awfully bold statement. Somehow I doubt you could have accomplished that."

"So tell me please, how is it that I would not be classified as a prisoner?"

"You are free to roam the facility including the grounds. There is a cafeteria, a TV room - "

"Are there computers?" Callie brightened at the prospect, sitting up straighter.

"Yes, but those are only available to staff. Not guests."

"Hmph," she snorted, folding her arms under her braless breasts. "Guest indeed."

"Anyway, you can stay in here if you like or you can walk around. It's up to you." She pressed the single button on the panel on the wall beside the door.

The door slid open with whoosh. How very space age science fiction. Callie stood to her feet and scrambled to the door before it closed and her chance at some modicum of freedom was gone.

A bank of windows lined one side of the gleaming white hall filling it with rays of golden sunshine which lessened the harsh glare of the fluorescent lighting on the white on white floors and walls. This place was extremely institutional like a hospital.

Izumi led her on an impromptu tour of the building bringing points of possible interest to her attention such as the aforementioned cafeteria and TV room along with a library of sorts complete with several computers that could only be accessed through a password equipped account.

Although they encountered several people on their little excursion, no one spoke to them. However, all of the passers by cast a curious glance in their direction, the greater part of their interest directed at Callie. Most of the people, men and women alike, were dressed in suits like it was just another day at the office.

Next, they entered a hallway full of widely spaced doors bearing no numbers or name plates. A clinical looking trio walked in the direction toward them after exiting one of the doors. Two men dressed in green scrubs engaged in a hushed discussion and a woman wearing a white doctor's coat followed behind them checking off items on a clipboard. The way they were dressed furthered the whole hospital vibe of the place. The presence of 'doctors' and lack of labeling as to what lay behind each door hinted at secret experiments and inhumane acts performed in the name of science.

Callie did not realize she was holding her breath until they turned the corner and left the eerie hallway and the mysterious medical staff behind. They turned down yet another white hallway that yielded closed doors on both walls bearing gold nameplates. Halfway down she found Tosaki and Shimomura's names on doors across the hall from each other.

"Offices?" she queried, pointing at the door bearing her tour guide's name.

"These are living quarters," Izumi explained sounding a little exasperated.

"Hey, can we call it quits to this grand tour? I'm kinda tired anyway."

"Do you have any more questions?"

"Can I go outside?"

"Of course." Izumi pointed toward a glass sliding door at the end of the hall. "Out that way. Can you find your way back to your room?"

"I think I can manage."

Callie did not have much confidence that she could find her way back through this mouse maze, but she was not about to admit it. She needed to get out of here because the walls were closing in.

 _If I can't find my room, I'll get to know this place inside and out whether I want to or not_ , she thought to herself while walking fast toward the automatic doors. The tinted glass doors slid open for her as soon as she stepped onto the large rubber mat. Freedom. Or at least a semblance thereof.

Callie ran across the asphalt driveway to stand in the grass in her bare feet under the massive oak tree in the middle of the circular drive. She opened her arms wide, extending them at her sides. After a merry _Sound of Music_ spin, she jaunted across the other part of the driveway to the fabulously landscaped green space featuring several large trees spaced at carefully measured intervals and meticulously groomed flower beds. Cast iron benches and wooden Adirondack chairs were set among the individual groupings of trees and flowers that formed their own little ecosystem within the whole.

She sat down in an Adirondack chair painted a garish lime green set among monkey grass and a spray of flowers that had been planted with the purpose of attracting butterflies. White and yellow butterflies flitted among the small trumpet shaped blossoms in eye popping shades of fuchsia and deep purple. She sank into the chair setting her feet on the edge to draw her knees up to her chest. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the hum of nearby bees that were also enjoying the flowers.

True relaxation was settling in when the sound of someone clearing their throat startled her, setting her nerves on edge all over again. Her eyes flew open to see a haggard, tired looking man peering at her. His disheveled dark hair, scruffy growth of beard, and hopelessly wrinkled clothes gave him a distinctly creepy vibe. A doctor? He stared at her with narrowed eyes in the manner of a scientist examining an interesting specimen in his lab.

"Can I help you?" Callie questioned him, annoyed that he had interrupted her peace.

"My name is Ikuya Ogura. I'm an American Biophysicist. I investigated and studied the Ajins. More specifically, IBMs," he said, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of the front pocket of the rumpled navy blue suit jacket he wore over a black t-shirt. "Before I was brought here for my own protection."

The sarcasm of his last statement carried through loud and clear. Callie smiled, watching him shake a cigarette from the pack before inserting it between his lips. "So you're _not_ a prisoner here either I take it?"

He chuckled dryly, lighting his cigarette with a silver zippo lighter. "Yeah. Do you mind?"

"Not at all. But you have to share."

"Okay," he agreed, shaking the pack again to push up a cigarette before extending it toward her.

Callie paused upon noticing that two of his fingers, the middle and ring fingers, had been cut off above the second joint.

"Did Tosaki do that?" she asked, retrieving the cigarette. She had experienced Tosaki's violence and cruelty firsthand so it was a fair assumption.

"Yep," he answered bluntly. "He had intended to take the three middle fingers but I told him I needed more than my thumb and pinky to hold my cigarette."

He demonstrated as if to prove his point showing how he held the cigarette between his thumb and forefinger then tapped it against his pinky to loosen the gray tip of ash that floated away on the gentle breeze. After placing the cigarette back between his lips, he flicked the lighter, cupping his other hand around the flame so an errant wind would not extinguish the flame.

She leaned forward to light the cigarette. She inhaled deeply, holding the smoke in her lungs until her head felt like it might float off her shoulders. Ah, the rush of nicotine. She had forgotten how good that could feel.

"It's terrible to be an addict," she confessed, allowing the smoke to flow out through her nose and mouth not caring if she looked like a fire breathing dragon.

"There's worse things to be," he countered, straightening his shoulders momentarily to stretch before returning to his slouching stance.

"I suppose." She wondered if that was a veiled insult in reference to her being an Ajin. She didn't think so after studying his passive face that was focused on something else, or maybe nothing at all, in the distance while white smoke curled from the end of the cigarette hanging loosely from his lips.

"I heard you caused quite a stir this morning, newbie," he stated nonchalantly without removing the cigarette before speaking.

"News sure does travel fast around this place."

"I made it my business to know about the new Ajin. I told you IBMs are my area of expertise. I heard you used two simultaneously but independently." He waited for her to reply. When she did not, he prompted her, "Show me what you got. Surprise me. Thrill me."

"What?" she questioned him, squinting at him with suspicion.

"Form your IBM. Or Black Ghost. Whatever you call it." He shrugged casually indicating he really did not care what she called it.

"No," she rejoined flatly, tapping her cigarette on the arm of her chair.

"Hmph," he grunted. "Perhaps what I heard was just a rumor. People around here get bored and make up stories. Maybe you can't form one at all. Some Ajins can't."

Could Ogura make it any more obvious that he was baiting her?

"You're right. They can't." She knew this from personal experience after watching Kō strive and fail to form one until he would break down into tears of frustration.

"Do what you did in that room earlier when you attacked Tosaki's pet Ajin."

"You don't want me to do that. Trust me," she added, a sly grin stretching her lips. She blew out the smoke then turned her head to look at him.

"Trust you? I would never think of doing such a thing."

That snarky statement pressed the button he had searching for. Callie released the Gorilla Ghost, conjuring the beast to appear in front of Ikya Ogura. The creature appeared to exist as both a solid and a gas she had formed him so completely. The IBM opened his mouth and issued a primal roar like the animal he resembled. The cry was loud, otherworldly, tickling her spine with fear even though she was in control of him. The sound waves emitted by the Black Ghost were so powerful, the deep wrinkles on the man's face rippled.

Ogura's face paled and his mouth dropped open, the cigarette hanging on to his lower lip as if glued there. He recovered from the shock almost in an instant to begin examining the IBM. His eyes studied the face mere inches from his that had hollowed out spaces where eyes, nostrils, and a mouth should be located. Before he could give the IBM a thorough exam and sate his fascination, she withdrew the Ghost.

"Incredible," he mumbled, his cigarette bobbing between his lips. He had regained the world weary, bored-with-everything expression on his face.

"Happy?" she snapped irritably.

"Ecstatic," he returned sounding far from it.

\\..'../

* * *

Kei awoke with a start as if waking from a bad dream. Opening his bleary eyes, he saw Kō through a blurry haze laying a few feet away on dry, powdery sand. Five feet away exactly considering that was the length of the rope between them that had been tied around their waists so they would not get separated. He dragged his heavy, tired body to his hands and knees to crawl away from the wet sand where the waves licked at his body.

His body was instantly wracked with a coughing fit that would rival that of an old man with emphysema and tuberculosis. Sea water rushed up his throat and spewed from his mouth after being expelled from his lungs and stomach. He collapsed onto the dry sand under him not caring that it stuck to his damp face and body. Once he was done vomiting and could breathe again, he jumped to his feet.

Kō was still on his hands and knees puking up the part of the ocean he had swallowed while Kei untied the rope from both of their waists. Then he freed the large black plastic trash bag he had tied in the middle. The bag contained a change of clothes for each of them, the cell phone that belonged to Callie, and several other items that might come in handy including the money and credit cards she had left at the house. Each item had been placed inside plastic zipper bags then stuffed into a small trash bag before being put in the big bag. Everything had remained dry as he had hoped.

"We need to get changed. Here," he said to Kō, tossing the gallon sized plastic bag containing his clean, dry clothes at him.

The gold ball of the post dawn sun was bisected by the horizon where the ocean met the sky. The day was coming, and they needed to hurry. There was so much to do.

Kei glimpsed their surroundings while dressing. They had washed up on a public beach. A miscalculation of the currents on his part but advantageous nonetheless. A small paved parking lot contained a single vehicle, a little red hatchback. Searching the area, he finally spotted the owner sitting on his surfboard pretty far out into the water waiting for a half decent wave to ride.

"Kō, hurry," he pressed his companion.

"I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying. Damn," he muttered, brushing off as much of the sand as possible with the drenched t-shirt he had stripped off. "I'm starving. Can we get something to eat first?"

Kei turned on the phone. The battery registered at fifty percent. His stomach growled reminding him that they had not eaten in well over twenty-four hours. Food sounded like a great idea. Besides, he needed to charge the phone.

"Yeah. Let's go get something to eat."


	23. Chapter 23

Callie sat in the TV room located on the second floor down the hall from the cafeteria. She sipped the cup of coffee not really tasting it which worked in her favor since it usually tasted like motor oil mixed with river mud. Her eyes fixated blindly on the screen while her ears reduced the pleasant, rhythmic voice of the female news anchor to a muffled droning of background noise. Where were they? What were they doing? The three days that had passed since she had last seen Kō and Kei might as well have been three years, or three centuries, because it seemed like such an inordinately long amount of time. If she knew anything about Kei's plan the minutes wouldn't be like hours ticking by torturing her second by second.

Apprehension stemming from the unknown constricted her chest. She sighed, leaning forward to the set the half empty, almost cold cup of coffee on the coffee table. Must be how the piece of furniture got its name. Drawing her legs up to her chest, she folded into an upright fetal position curling into a ball with her forehead touching her knees in an effort to comfort herself.

Although she would never tell him, Callie would have to agree with Kei on his opinion about the impracticality of feelings. Emotions made one weak and vulnerable. Caring about someone produced unnecessary complications in life. Admitting he had a valid point to reconcile his aloof coldness, his purposeful emotional constipation, irritated her to no end. She wanted to care. She wanted to love. And she did. Which was the exact reason she was sitting here so worried that it made her physically ill. Where are those two idiots?

"In other news today, the body of forty eight year old Kenichi Yamaguchi was found in his abandoned rental home on Kuromatsu Island."

Callie's head snapped up at the mention of the man who had rented her the house on Black Pine Island. The newscaster garnered her complete attention.

"It appeared Mr. Yamaguchi had been totured and murdered," the prim, perfectly coiffed newswoman said in a monotone as if delivering the weather report.

Callie feared she might vomit on the floor. The landlord had been murdered in the exact house he had rented to her. Would the cops be coming after her? Only one person could have killed her landlord. Just one. Somehow the thought of the police arresting her did not frighten her. The man who actually killed Mr. Yamaguchi terrified her beyond words. Her shaking hand covered her mouth to prevent her from ejecting the bile bubbling up her throat.

"What's wrong?" Izumi asked, laying a gentle hand on the horror stricken woman's shoulder. When Callie did not answer, she shook her slightly. "Hey, hey, what's wrong?"

Callie turned her sickly white face to Izumi who stood behind the couch. "Satō killed him. He killed an innocent man."

"He's killed many innocent people. You shouldn't be surprised," she said, walking around the couch to sit down beside Callie.

"I know that, Izumi," she rejoined, gradually recovering from the shocking news. "But he was killed because of me. If he hadn't rented that house to me - "

"You're probably right. He would still be alive," Izumi interrupted in a frigid tone. "You also wouldn't be here if you had never met Kei Nagai. You would probably be held in the clutches of your grandfather, brainwashed to do who knows what nefarious deed. Instead, you're here safe. There's no way to know which random events in our day will be meaningless or life changing. You can't predict the future and prevent the bad things from happening. So what's your point?"

"I suppose you're right. The whole world is crazy. Nothing makes sense," she mumbled, stretching out her legs that had started to cramp.

"Here. I have something for you," Izumi announced, handing her companion the cup of coffee purchased from the bakery down the street. "I thought you might like this a little better than the disgusting fluid that passes for coffee around here."

"Thank you," Callie returned, enclosing the cup with both hands.

A faint wisp of steam escaped through the small hole in the black lid. The heat seeped through the thick paper cup thawed her frigid hands. She inhaled the pleasing hazelnut scent of the coffee, sighing with satisfaction. Her favorite. After taking her first sip, she expressed her gratitude again. "Thank you, Izumi. Really. You've been very kind to me."

Yesterday Shimomura had gone shopping, bringing Callie desperately needed items such as panties and bras along with clothes that actually fit. She also gave Callie the dress that she had been wearing that day at the Farmer's Market. With a blush on her cheeks, Izumi confessed that she would never wear the dress again and had only worn it that day to fit in with the scenery at the market.

"Do you think I might be able to go to the mall or go the bakery myself one day soon?" Callie inquired, taking another gratifying sip of her coffee.

"I don't know. Maybe I can convince Tosaki to allow you to leave the premises if I promise to go with you and keep an eye on you."

"All right." She gave the woman a smile that unfortunately was not returned.

That was okay. Izumi seemed to be nice and was definitely making an effort to be friendly. There was no telling what the woman had experienced to make her so standoffish and disengaged, reluctant to interact on an intimate personal level with people. Kei had enabled her to grow accustomed to a total void of emotion without taking it too personally.

"Shimomura!" Tosaki bellowed.

Callie groaned and rolled her eyes. Being a subordinate of that asshole certainly could not a boon to Izumi's social or emotional development either.

"Turn the channel!" he yelled, stomping into the room, his cellphone pressed firmly to his ear.

Izumi picked up the remote control from the table and began to surf through channels in an attempt to find what had Tosaki so up in arms. It did not take long to find it. On the screen, a little red car raced down the street with police cars, blue lights flickering and sirens blaring, following close behind.

"The notorious Ajin, Kei Nagai, is believed to be in the red car," the newsman announced almost breathless with excitement.

Callie nearly spit out her coffee. To keep from doing so, she gulped down the hot liquid scorching her esophagus in the process.

"Yes, I see you," Tosaki growled into his phone. His furious silvery blue eyes flickered to Callie. "She sees you too." His eyes narrowed to convey his rage at the young man on the phone. He stomped toward the couch on which sat his trusted subordinate and the not so trusted Ajin and granddaughter of Satō. He thrust the phone in Callie's face, his annoyance apparent. "Here. He wants to speak to you."

Her fingers trembled uncontrollably making it difficult to grip the phone. Holding it with one hand on the bottom to avoid dropping it, she brought the phone to her ear. "H-hello?"

"Are you all right?" Kei inquired, his voice so soft and sweet she almost did not recognize it.

"I'm fine. Are you two all right?"

"We're good."

"Can I talk to her?" Kō blurted in the background.

"No, you idiot! This isn't a social call," Kei snapped at him. "See you soon, Callie. Okay?"

"Okay." Callie handed the phone back to Tosaki who snatched it from her so ferociously, she recoiled to make sure she did not lose a finger in the vicious swiping motion. "Asshole."

"Where are you going?" Tosaki demanded, ignoring her comment. His eyes widened in unbridled terror. "No, you can't," he gasped. His eyes met Izumi's briefly before sliding in the direction of the door giving her a silent signal they were leaving.

Callie jumped to her feet and hustled after them. At the door, the angry yet fearful man whirled around to glare at her hotly.

"Not you," he growled, bending down to bring his face close to hers.

Callie took a step back from him to distance herself from the eyes boring an invisible hole right between her eyes like his bullet had a few days ago.

"You stay here," he commanded, expecting his orders to be followed in submissive silence.

"But I - " She tried to sidestep him to show she intended to go with them. Her path was physically blocked again by the tall, wiry body of the man who managed to be imposing despite his slim frame.

"You stay here, or I will shoot you again to make you stay here," he threatened.

There was no doubt in her mind that he would make good on that threat. She rocked on her heels in a moment of indecisiveness. It didn't matter if he shot her again because she wouldn't die and she would heal. Then again, getting shot in the head had hurt like hell and had required several hours of recovery. It had taken a bit of time to regrow a brain. She took a step forward, avoiding his penetrating gaze by staring at the floor. Izumi halted her progress next by barring the way with an outstretched arm.

"He _will_ shoot you again. Probably more than once this time. Stay put. Please," she added, her dark maroon brown eyes pleading with Callie.

"Fine," Callie agreed reluctantly. Her eyes met Tosaki's. "I'm staying because _she_ asked me politely. Not because you ordered me to stay, asshole."

"Whatever," he muttered, spinning on his heel turning his back on the defiant little woman to dismiss her. "Shimomura, let's go."

Callie walked out into the hallway to watch them leave. At the end of the corridor, before they reached the elevators, several more men fell in behind them like good little soldiers. Shit. They were taking a team of four men with them. All armed and well trained.

"Dammit, Kei. I hope you know what you're doing," she mumbled to herself. She hurried back to sit down on the couch in order to observe the drama unfolding on the television.

Ikuya Ogura wandered into the room as if lost. He produced a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of his signature wrinkled sports jacket.

"Want one?" he asked, offering her the pack.

"No, thanks," she lied, keeping her eyes on the TV screen.

The red car swung wide, making a turn at a ridiculous rate of speed. The tires screeched, smoke billowing from the wheel wells in its effort to maintain contact with the pavement while propelling it around the ninety degree corner without spinning into the bushes.

"The police have been following this vehicle for quite some time now. It appears to be going in the direction of Touto University Hospital," the anchor man announced, his voice tight with anticipation. He pressed his ear piece tightly into his ear as if he could not hear the words being fed to him from the crew in a helicopter following and filming the car.

Callie already knew where they were going. She had seen the floor plans of the hospital while clicking through the tabs he had left open on her computer while planning this whole fiasco. What Kei planned to do when he arrived remained a mystery.

The car gained speed on the straightaway that led to the immaculately landscaped entrance of the hospital. The half dozen police cars remained close behind. The pursued car disappeared under the massive concrete canopy that created a shelter from the elements over the sliding glass doors of the entryway. Presently, it served as a shelter from the cameras of the news crew in the helicopter. The police cars flanked both sides of the semicircle driveway to block any escape route. They could be seen getting out of their cars with weapons drawn.

A boxy black truck with no markings on the sides slid to a stop behind one of the police cars positioned in a half circle to flank the entryway. Special Operations Officers dressed in black including bullet proof vests and shielded helmets filed from the back of the vehicle. They took their positions closer to the entrance, raising large, high powered weapons to aim them at the door.

"Oh, god," Callie breathed when they filed into the hospital in slightly crouching postures.

"There are two suspects whose identities have not yet been confirmed. Both have entered the hospital. What we do know is the police intend to use lethal force if necessary," the newscaster relayed.

"I need one of those cigarettes now."

"It's not as if they'll die. Nagai and Nakano are Ajins after all," Ogura callously reminded her in his jaded monotone.

That man sounded like the whole damn world bored him to death. As if he cared for nothing and no one. At least Kei and Izumi were thick skinned and icy because the numerous pains suffered in their lives had hardened their hearts as a means of self-protection. Ikuya Ogura was nothing more than an arrogant asshole who sincerely did not give a damn about anyone else.

"Give me the fucking cigarette," she snarled, snatching it from his outstretched fingers.

"Hey! Not in here you two!" yelled one of the men dressed in scrubs who had been walking past the open door of the TV room.

"Come on, Gigi. Let's be model prisoners and do as the man says," he muttered, sticking his still lit cigarette between his lips.

"Gigi?"

"Yeah. Like two g's. As in Gorilla Girl."

"Oh, great," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

He had seen fit to give her a nickname. That made her feel like a stray animal he had decided to keep as a pet. She could not be less thrilled. At least being annoyed with him enabled her to shake off the debilitating nausea stemming from her concern about Kō and Kei.

"How many IBMs do you have?" he asked her while they strolled down the hall at a leisurely pace as if everything was right with the world.

Everything could not be more wrong. At least to Callie.

"Obsessed much?" she snapped in return, her irritation growing.

"It's what I do. I've researched IBMs for years. Answer the question."

 _Demanding asshole,_ she thought to herself. She was wrong. He was passionate about one thing. She decided to respond to his inquiry more to distract herself than to indulge his curiosity.

"Three."

"Do you remember when your first one appeared?"

"When my parents were murdered," she replied flatly, her stomach twisting into a knot. The nausea came flooding back, but she fought off the sickening waves.

She had rarely discussed her parents murder with anyone. Only her therapist knew everything, every last detail of the horrid events that night. She had never talked about it with her grandmother. That would have been an exercise in cruelty neither one of them could bear. When people asked about her parents, she merely mentioned they had passed away. Only on rare occasions had people pressed for further information, asking the dreaded question of 'how did they die?' which was summarily ignored.

"Will you tell me what happened?" Ikuya Ogura asked, his voice softening in tone and volume. He put a supporting arm around her waist when she lurched forward.

"Mmmm," she grunted, hugging her abdomen as if to cease the somersaulting of her insides. The tightness in her chest constricted her lungs and squeezed her heart. She refused to give in to the mounting anxiety which would throw her into a full blown panic attack.

Callie dreaded recalling the awful memories of that night. Occasionally through nightmares she relived the whole horrid occurrence. When she talked about it, she became the frightened child helplessly watching with her very own eyes as her parents met a violent demise.

Callie waited for the automatic sliding doors to open, sucking in a deep breath of the flower scented air. She inhaled deeply, raising her head and straightening her shoulders. However, she allowed his arm to remain around her waist in case her knees unexpectedly weakened. She compliantly allowed him to lead her to area where they had first met. Her body easily folded into the chair when he lowered her to sit.

"What happened to your parents?" he questioned her with a persistent but mild manner. He took the unlit cigarette from between her fingers before sitting in the chair across from her.

This reminded Callie of her sessions with her therapist.

The psychologist had been kind, genuinely caring. Of course Callie had been a child when she first starting going to see the woman. Dr. Julie Weaver became sort of a surrogate mother, staying with her as her therapist until her adolescent years when Callie believed she would be okay. Obviously, she overestimated herself. She would never be okay after watching her parents being killed.

"We were eating dinner. Mom was fussing at me to eat my vegetables. Like mom's do. I still hate carrots to this day," she laughed lightly. She leaned forward when he extended the cigarette he had lit off of the one he was about to smoke down to the filter. "There was a knock on the door. My dad got up to go answer it."

Callie took a drag from the cigarette. Her head became light like it might float off her shoulders. Perhaps she had inhaled too deeply. She felt nothing. Numbness had set in. Her whole body felt as cold and unresponsive as her emotions.

"Two men pushed him back into the kitchen. There was a knife in his belly. The men were yelling. My mother was screaming. She picked me up and shoved me into the pantry." Callie cleared her throat when her voice became thick.

"The door wasn't quite closed. One of the men held my father while the other stabbed him...in the chest, the stomach, arms, neck...everywhere. My mother ran to help him despite it being a hopeless cause. He was already dead. Or one would think," she muttered, tapping the cigarette on the arm of the chair to free the ash. The specks floated on the wind then disappeared. Human ashes look a lot like cigarette ashes - a truly disconcerting fact. Her mother had been cremated.

"What happened to your mother, Callie?" he prompted her.

"The other guy grabbed her, throwing her to the side as if she were a simple inconvenience. A piece of trash, not a human. She spun and stumbled, hitting her head on the floor. I thought she was dead then." Callie paused, taking a shuddering breath. Her belly quivered. Feeling hot and sick, she thought she might throw up.

"There was so much blood," she whispered, swallowing spasmodically. "The man who hurt my mother walked toward the pantry. I backed away from the door, but there was no where to go. His hand was big. Strong. He grabbed me by the arm and jerked me out. It hurt." Her voice cracked, devolving into a warbling sound signalling she was about to cry. She puffed on her cigarette a few times in order to regain her composure.

"My mother appeared from nowhere, jumping on the man's back. She screamed like a mad woman, clawing at his face. Her fingers dug into his eyes, pushing until he dropped me. She actually pulled one of his eyeballs out." She swallowed the burning bile that gagged her. "The other man, the one who had stabbed my father, slit my mother's throat."

She stopped, not knowing if she could go on. Ikuya Ogura averted his eyes when she glanced at him. Shockingly, he did not encourage her to continue.

"The man came at me next, the knife dripping with my mother's blood raised above his head. That's when she appeared," she said, referring to the Black Ghost that looked like a shadow of her.

"Who?" he asked.

"Her." Callie made the IBM appear to make further description unnecessary. The Black Ghost sat crouched beside her chair like a cat ready to pounce.

Ogura wondered if she intended to sic the being on him like she had the Gorilla Ghost. He examined the IBM from a distance while he waited for her to speak again. The IBM was well formed like the first, having the appearance of a smoky black mummy, a black void where the face should be.

"She killed the man who murdered my mother. The man who was about to kill me. She protected me."

Ogura's eyes fixed themselves to Callie Owens' face, watching every micro-expression of fear and anguish flitting across it. She had been observed by doctor's before like she were some kind of test subject in an experiment. It did not bother her, although it probably should have.

"I remember staring at my dead mother while lying in her blood. At first, the blood was warm and wet like water in a bath. Then it grew cold and sticky like I had fallen into gelatin. I don't know how long it took, but it seemed an eternity passed before the policemen arrived. A policeman put a blanket around me and picked me up to carry me out of the apartment. Then I was at the hospital." She put out her cigarette on the arm of the chair. Her breath came in shaky inhales. For the first time since she began talking, she made eye contact with the pseudo-psychologist. His eyes bore no sympathy or pity. He observed her with the pensive questioning gaze of a researcher. All in the name of science. She found this oddly comforting.

"I suppose my father simply woke up and walked out before the police arrived. I always assumed he was dead. That would be the normal thing to do, right?" she scoffed. If only she had known then what she knew now. But she was only a child and would not have been able to comprehend it so it had been better for her to think he was dead all those years.

"Gabriel Owens," Ikuya Ogura blurted.

The name shattered the fugue enveloping Callie. He flicked his lighter, the scratching sound grating on her nerves with the same intensity of someone dragging their fingernails across a chalkboard.

"How do you know that name?" she questioned him, her voice barely above a whisper.

"He was a fellow researcher. A great scientist and a good man."

Callie did not know what shocked her most: Ogura knowing her father personally or his glowing review of the man.

He blew out smoke before continuing. "He was also a test subject."

"Please continue," she urged him, folding her hands in her lap. She massaged the webbing between her thumb and forefinger with the thumb of her other hand. A nervous habit she had developed as a child to cope with overwhelming situations. More than once she had rubbed the skin off, forming a raw wound. Dr. Julie had helped her tame the mutilating habit. Until today.

"Callie, do you know what your grandfather and father's names mean?" Ogura asked out of the blue. He waited for her to react. When he received none, he went on. "Samuel means his name is God. Gabriel means God is my strength. Gabriel was also the name of an archangel, the messenger of God. As I'm sure you're already aware, your grandfather has a god complex. Your father was meant to be his personal messenger, the one who would announce and herald in his present plan of genocide against humans. Your father told me of this plan, but by that time your grandfather had already fled the United States and had been in hiding in Japan for many years."

"Why did he chose Japan?" Callie snatched the pack of cigarettes along with the lighter from the arm of the chair in which Ogura sat. She needed a drink, wondering if there might be alcohol in the cafeteria but doubted it. Maybe someone had a private stash somewhere. Surely all these men could not be teetotalers.

"Don't know," he rejoined, staring at the clear blue sky above them as if the answer resided there among the puffy white clouds. "Maybe because it's one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Maybe because a larger number of discovered Ajins resided here. Whatever the reason, your father came forward divulging the details of the plan to me and the other researchers."

"So do you think it was my grandfather who sent those men? To kill him because of his betrayal?"

"I do."

"Do you think my father is still alive?"

"One can only assume."

"Do you know where he is?"

"No."

"Do you think he's helping my grandfather?"

"I don't know. I would seriously doubt it."

Ogura sighed noisily, leaning back in his chair. He looked more exhausted than normal. The creases around his eyes and mouth deepened into chasms of world-weariness. Psychologists call it Weltschmerz, the sorrow which comes from thinking about all of the evils of the world. One particular evil weighed heavily on both of their minds: Satō.


	24. Chapter 24

The crunch of tires on gravel caught their attention. The two black government issued sedans crawled up the long driveway to stop at the entrance of the building.

Callie remained seated in her chair anxiously waiting for the doors to the cars to open. All at once, all four doors on both cars swung outward. Her heart beat faster when a head of orange-brown hair poked out of the first vehicle. She stood to her feet, her heart threatening to beat out of her chest when Kō fully emerged from the backseat of the car. Her knees weakened with relief, preventing her from running to him. Tears leaked from her eyes. Ignored and left to multiply, the tears ran copiously until they dripped from her chin.

When Kō saw her, he ran to her without hesitation. He flung his arms around her, nearly bowling her over and knocking them both to the ground.

"I've missed you so much," he breathed into her ear, hugging her so tightly she could not breathe.

"I'm so happy you're all right," she whispered in return, encompassing his waist with her arms. She buried her face in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Her weeping resulted as much from the happiness of seeing him as the sadness from recounting her parents' death.

Callie gasped in surprise when he pushed her back from him, pressing his palms to her cheeks and turning her face upward. She could see the tears swimming in his eyes. Then his lips were on hers, soft and welcoming, imparting a gentle hello kiss. Another heartfelt embrace awaited her after the reunion kiss. Her fingers curled into the fabric of the yellow hoodie he wore, holding onto him as if her life depended on it. Maybe her sanity depended on it instead.

"Owens, Nakano! Come inside!" one of the men in Tosaki's security detail barked.

"Break it up, lovebirds," Kei yelled. "Nobody wants to see that."

An inferno of anger ignited within Callie upon hearing his voice. The heat of her fury inflamed her body from the inside out, reddening her face. He incited an irrational anger in her like no one she had met in her entire life. She released Kō, stepping around him to see Kei standing by the second car his hands on his hips waiting impatiently. At first her steps toward him were slow and halting, soon she was charging toward him at top speed.

The men observing the scene expected another warm reunion. Instead, she drew back her fist, punching Kei right in the jaw with a powerful haymaker. He stumbled backwards when her body collided with his, the momentum ramming them both into the car. He slid down the waxed door with little resistance, Callie landing on top of him.

"You vile little shit! What the hell were you thinking?!" she screamed, head butting him in the nose from her prone position on his body. The cartilage in his nose snapped making a sound like that of a dry twig breaking under the pressure of a shoe.

"Ow! That fucking hurt!" he hollered, blood spurting from his nose.

"Hey!" bellowed the guards, rushing forward to grab the irate woman.

Two of the larger men seized her, each gripping an arm to haul her off of the wounded young man. Neither one of them anticipated the little woman kicking outward to deliver a blow to his jaw with her foot clad in tennis shoes. Knocked out cold, Kei fell flat on his back most likely receiving a concussion in addition to his other injuries.

"Stop it!" Hirasawa commanded her. He followed behind his men when they carried her into the building fighting them with every step.

She had a mission in mind and would not be stopped. She kicked at the knee of one his men causing him to drop her. Callie dangled precariously by the other arm still held securely by the second man. She executed a roundhouse kick to his ribs which resulted in her being dropped onto the sharp rocks of the driveway. The rough edges of the gravel cut into the skin of her knees and palms but did not prevent her from leaping to her feet to run toward Kei who lay motionless by the car.

Hirasawa, a hired mercenary and head of Tosaki's personal guards, lunged to capture her when she ran past him. His arms enclosed her waist dragging her to the ground. This time her meeting with the ground was harder and more painful yet she did not seem to notice. Callie dug her fingernails into the rock covered drive under her to find traction, pulling herself across the sharp stones which made more stinging cuts on her legs and scorching abrasions on her palms.

"Unbelievable," Hirasawa grunted.

The woman continued to make slow, painful progress toward Kei despite Hirasawa's large body holding down half of hers. He clung to her while she stubbornly crawled toward her target who lay unconscious on the ground next to the tires of the car.

"Interesting," Ogura muttered, standing alongside Tosaki.

Both men observed the weird and violent scene with vastly different expressions. Ogura registered no emotion at all except perhaps a vague desire to know what she would do if she actually made it over to Kei. Tosaki bore the face of a disgruntled, tired father who had been tested to the end of his patience.

Tosaki glared at the man who casually smoked a cigarette so close to him. He craved a cigarette, but he had stopped smoking for Ai and would not start again. Taking the tin of mints from his pocket, he popped two into his mouth while watching a massive, trained assassin struggle to control a woman a foot shorter than him and at least a hundred pounds lighter.

"I suppose it's true what the English playwright and poet, William Congreve, wrote, _Heaven has no rage like Love to Hatred turned, Nor Hell a fury like a Woman scorned_. All the fury of Hell cannot compare to that of an angry woman," he said. "However, this is no mere lover's tiff. That boy is definitely not the love of her life. She's genuinely pissed on a far deeper level. But...there's a deeper connection between these two than between her and the one over there who is her lover."

"Hmm," Tosaki hummed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "You know all that just from what you've seen here?"

"I know nothing for certain except this...I'd be careful with these two, Nagai and Owens. Especially that woman. Don't forget with whom she shares a bloodline."

"Don't mince words with me, Ogura. It's not your style. Are you saying blood is thicker than water? That nature will overrule nurture?"

"Have you learned nothing about Satō?" he inquired, his voice staying calm to the point of being blase. "He's a born killer. Plain and simple. He does it because he enjoys it. Targeting the humans as his enemy, claiming he's doing this for the good of his kind, for the Ajins, is a smoke screen. By finding a cause on which to unleash his natural desires makes him appear to be noble."

Ogura thought for a minute, lighting another cigarette. "No, desires is not the right word. Compulsions," he corrected himself. "Killing is a game to him like a cat plays with a mouse before killing it. It's an inherent instinct, a need that drives him. It's in his blood just like the genetic design to be an Ajin. She carries that blood her veins. From what I see, she also has the ability to seek and kill with no hesitation and no regret."

"You're wrong," Shimomura interjected.

"Huh?" the two men murmured in unison.

"She's not a killer without a conscience," she said in defense of the woman being held in a headlock and barely restrained by a man twice her size.

"But you're not denying she's a killer?" Ogura pointed out.

"She feels everything. She loves, and she hurts. She does feel guilt and regret. She's not like Satō." After allowing her glare to settle into Ikuya Ogura until he shifted his shoulders uncomfortably, she switched her blazing expression to her boss. "Besides, how often has Kei Nagai angered you enough to kill him, Mr. Tosaki?"

With those final cutting words boldly directed at her superior, Shimomura rotated on her heel to walk toward Callie.

By this time, Hirasawa had forced Callie to the ground onto all fours. She reared and bucked like a furious wild horse attempting to throw the large man off of her back. She finally stilled, opening her mouth to scream. The ear splitting sound trailed off into a pitiful, whimpering sob.

"Hirasawa, get up," Shimomura requested, bending down to examine the quivering, crying woman under him.

"I-I c-can't," he stuttered out of the corner of his mouth. Inexplicably paralyzed, he found himself unable to let go of the woman who floundered beneath him.

"What the hell?" she murmured to herself.

Glimpsing behind her, she could see that Ogura and Tosaki also appeared to be frozen in place. Before she could contemplate the situation any further, Callie caught her attention by grunting with the effort of extricating herself from her predicament by crawling out from underneath the motionless man.

"Here," Izumi said, offering her hand to Callie to assist her with standing to her feet.

"I'll help," Kō offered, appearing on the other side of his girlfriend. He bent down to pull her up into his arms to pick her up in a bridal carry.

Finally able to move, Hirasawa staggered to his feet. In an endeavor to save face, he brushed off the dust and rock particles from his black pants acting as if nothing unusual had occurred. He watched in silence when the took Callie away.

"I-I don't know what happened. I just g-got s-so angry," she stuttered, her voice hitching from the tears that overflowed her eyelids.

"Calm down. It will be okay. I know you're angry with Kei, but he only wanted to protect you," Kō cooed to her, kissing her cheek smudged with dirt and tears.

"H-how could delivering me to the man who c-captures and experiments on Ajins b-be for my protection?"

"Because, sweetheart, he wanted to protect you from Satō. I didn't get it either until he told me," he explained, the pink coloration of embarrassment filling his cheeks. He knew he could be a bit dense, and being aware of his stupidity made it all the more humiliating.

Callie could only whimper and shiver in his arms having worked herself up into a histrionic state. She would not tell them that only half of the blame for her going out of her mind belonged to Kei. The other rested on the shoulders of Ikuya Ogura for taking her on a traumatic trip down memory lane. Poor Kei had become the unfortunate target on whom she unleashed her frustration. She was beginning to learn that with the right motivation anyone could become a killer. Loathe to admit a truth she had been running from for quite a while, sometimes the apple really didn't fall too far from the tree. This inescapable truth frightened her.

"Follow me, please," Shimomura beckoned Kō, entering the building.

When the three Ajins disappeared into the building, Ikuya Ogura stated the obvious, employing his typical supercilious air. "It would be in your best interest to make sure Callie Owens is on your side."

"Gee, I wish I'd thought of that," Tosaki retorted, casting a glance at Kei Nagai who was regaining consciousness.

"Ever heard the phrase, fighting fire with fire?" The scientist boorishly plowed ahead seemingly unaware of Kei.

"Yes. There's an actual scientific basis to that statement," Tosaki proclaimed rather proudly, thrilled he could push something scientifically based back at the haughty man. "It's a technique used by firefighters to extinguish an out of control forest fire. Sometimes the best way to put out a fire is by setting another fire to combat it. The two fires destroy each other."

Kei Nagai had already beat Ogura to the punch on that suggestion. He had made an offer at the hospital that Tosaki could not refuse. Kei had promised he and his cohorts would fight for him, to be his 'immortal soldiers.' The three of them would dedicate themselves to assisting him with bringing down Satō before the Ajin with the God complex could set off another extermination war on par with that of World War II and the Holocaust. Fighting fire with fire. Ajins against Ajins.

"The easiest way to catch a monster is by using one of the same kind."

Tosaki glanced at Kei who had raised himself to a sitting position. At the moment, Kei appeared to be a lost, confused kid. An hour before he had been a scheming little bastard using Ai's life as leverage. Tosaki had grossly underestimated Callie, believing her to be a weak, ineffectual woman. Seeing her almost kill Nagai with her bare hands and fend off three men twice her size made him realize she was possibly as dangerous as her grandfather. Neither of them had been what they appeared to be.

"Monster indeed. We seem to have three of them on our hands."


	25. Chapter 25

Callie lay limp as a ragdoll in Kō's arms while Izumi led them along the mouse maze of corridors. She noted they were being led in a different direction than toward the elevators which would take them to the third floor and her room. Instead they weaved their way along the corridors of the first floor where the agents private quarters, their home away from home, were located.

"Where are we going?" Callie asked, clutching a handful of Kō's shirt in her hand.

"I'm taking you to your new room. Not your jail cell."

Callie wondered if she smiled after saying those words. She had detected a slight lilt in Izumi's voice. She would have liked to have seen that smile.

"I convinced Tosaki you might be a little more cooperative if you were more comfortable here and felt less like a captive being held against her will," Izuma explained, taking a key out of her pocket. She stopped at a door bearing a gold nameplate with Callie's name on it. "Here we are."

"Can I stay with her?" Kō inquired, entering the room.

"You have a room of your own. Wouldn't you be more - "

"I'd really like..." he interrupted, speaking too loudly. He lowered his voice before continuing. "I'd really like to stay with her."

Izumi glowered at him momentarily, her eyes narrowing before opening back up to their normal large, round shape. She glanced from Callie to the man who held her close, loving and protective. It was easy to see that these two were on intimate terms, boyfriend and girlfriend. The exact status of Callie's connection with Kei Nagai remained unclear to her at this point due to the altercation that ensued when the woman laid eyes on him. Despite the obvious association of the two in front of her, she asked Callie, "Is that okay with you? Do you want him to stay with you?"

"Yes, I do," came the expected reply.

"I'll be leaving you then. If you need anything, let me know."

"Thank you," Callie returned. When the door closed behind Izumi, she looked up at the beloved redhead holding her tightly. "You can put me down now."

"What if I don't want to?" he rejoined, his lips tilting into a flirtatious grin.

"But I'm filthy and sweaty," she countered, pushing against his chest with the flat of her palms. The abrasions on her hands smarted so severely the pain brought tears to her eyes. "Oh, damn, it hurts."

"You went a little nuts out there."

"Yeah, I know."

"Kei does have a tendency to affect people that way." Kō laughed; a forced sound bearing no sincerity. "But you scare me when you get like that."

"I'm sorry," she apologized, shame coloring her cheeks.

Her head dropped forward so she would not have to see the hurt in his eyes. His lips grazed her forehead, giving her a kiss to remind her he still loved her. When he set her down on her feet, reluctantly letting her go, she glimpsed around her new domicile.

A basic twin bed covered with a patchwork quilt sat against one wall. It looked much more comfortable than a metal cot attached to a wall and covered with a thin, poor excuse of a mattress. The multi-colored quilt added a cozy touch she really liked.

A chest of drawers she hoped contained her few pieces of clothing had been pushed into the corner opposite the head of the bed. A plain desk made of white pine with a chair to match sat against the wall across from the foot of the bed. A brass desk lamp covered by a green glass shade sat on the desk illuminating the room in a hazy golden glow. The lamp reminded her of the lamps one always sees in libraries.

The furnishings were sparse and plain, but the room felt comfortable and inviting. Since this room was part of the dorms for the employees, she doubted there would be a camera in here. No mirror, two way or otherwise, was to be found in the room. At least she would not be spied on, observed like a lab rat.

Callie opened the door to her left finding the bathroom. A glassed in shower stall, a sink with exposed pipes, and a toilet clustered together in the tiny room. A small square table with tall legs sat next to the shower piled high with fluffy towels in pastel shades of lavender and mint green. Bottles of shampoo and soap had been placed in the shower. The small touches like the quilt and the toiletries indicated to her that Izumi had been the one to set up this room for her. She would be sure to thank her later for her kindness.

"I need a shower," Callie announced, throwing him a quick look.

"How about I take one with you?" he suggested, receiving a raised eyebrow questioning his motives. "I want to be there in case you get weak again. I don't want you to be hurt if you faint."

"I'll be fine." She kissed him lightly on the lips. "I just need a minute. Or ten."

"Okay," he mumbled, poking out his lower lip.

Taking one last look at her dejected lover, Callie gradually closed the door. She avoided looking at herself in the mirror when she turned to open the faucets to allow the water to heat. She gritted her teeth in preparation to take off her clothes. Pulling the fabric across her raw, torn skin felt like sandpaper scraping over her body.

The water burned like liquid fire racing across her skin. The pain singed her nerve endings until tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks joining the rivulets of water to be washed away. Everything around her swirled, setting her off balance. She leaned forward, her hands slapping against the tiled wall of the shower.

"Callie? Are you all right?" Kō asked through the door.

"I'm fine," she answered, turning off the water. She wrapped one of the super soft, fluffy towels around her body and another around her head.

Upon opening the door, she cried out in surprise to unexpectedly come nose to nose with her worried boyfriend. "My god, Kō."

"I'm sorry," he apologized, putting one hand on the back of her neck while sliding his other arm around her waist to pull her into him.

"I'm just a little jumpy."

"A little?"

Callie carefully extricated herself out of his arms to finish drying off. Thankfully her clothes had been stashed in the drawers. For the purpose of getting warm, she picked the oversized sweatshirt and yoga pants she had been given to wear her first day here. Then she crawled into the bed and under the quilt.

"Is there something else wrong?" Kō questioned her, sliding into the bed next to her.

"Nothing I'd like to talk about," she replied in a low murmur indicating she had no desire to continue talking at all.

When Kō stayed silent, picking up on her warning tone to let it go for tonight, she sighed in relief. She nestled into his arms, tucking her head under his chin. Snug and happy, drowsiness started to settle into her brain, easing her into an altered state of consciousness. The measured regularity of his breaths lulled her closer to sleep like a mother's lullaby.

"Hey, Callie," Kō mumbled sounding half asleep himself.

"Hmmm?" she hummed, prepared to drift into sleep.

"Do you think...do you think we might get married someday?"

She loved him, but she had abandoned the idea marriage to anyone after finding out the truth of her identity as an Ajin. Her life had changed in more unexpected ways. She came to Japan and stumbled, almost literally, across the most remarkable young man. A young man who is an Ajin like her. She found him to be an amazing person as well. Caring and thoughtful, with an open and willing heart that had quickly accepted her and loved her. A darn good cook. Cute and sexy to boot. There wasn't much to _not_ like about him. He could occasionally be a bit thick-skulled and a little childish. Then again, she had not known many men who didn't exhibit occasional bouts of dimwitted and juvenile behavior.

She loved Kō dearly because when she was with him, the world did not seem so scary and lonely. He gave her a reason to live, a reason to love. He became her reason to keep pushing forward when the circumstances appeared to be hopeless. The past did not matter, the present became worthwhile, and the future-well, she was actually willing to look forward to a future whatever it may be.

 _Mrs. Kō Nakano. Callie Nakano._ Her musings of marriage were interrupted by him calling her name, requesting an answer to his question.

"Callie? Will you marry me?"

"Honey, I don't know," she yawned, nuzzling his neck. The question felt too overwhelming right now. "Let's go to sleep. Okay?"

"Okay," he muttered irritably.

Callie sighed. She could tell he was pouting without seeing his face. At least he did not stiffen and turn away from her, rejecting her. She needed his closeness and comfort at the moment - his complete, unconditional acceptance.

"I love you," she said. Her voice seemed to echo back to her from a dark, empty chasm. She knew her imagination was working over time. The delicate kiss on top of her head sent delicious shivers down her spine.

"I love you too," he whispered in return. "I want to be with you forever."

Forever? Would they really live forever? Rather than keeping herself awake by contemplating the vastness of eternity, if it were really possible for them to live forever, she fell asleep. Some questions could not be answered no matter how desperately one sought the answer.


	26. Chapter 26

The door to her room opened a few inches allowing in a thin sliver of the blinding fluorescent light from the hallway. Callie cracked open one eye to glance at the clunky, old style digital alarm clock sitting on the dresser. 5:02 the big red letters informed her.

"Oh, my god it's too early," she moaned, pressing her body to Kō's and burying her face into the curve formed by his neck and shoulder.

"Kō! Hey, Nakano! Wake up!" Kei hissed from the doorway.

"Mmmm, whaddya want, Kei?" he murmured, hooking his arm around Callie's shoulders to pull her tighter into his body.

"Get up! We need to start training."

"Training? This early?"

"Hirasawa is waiting downstairs for us. Let's go," he commanded.

Kō groaned. After placing a kiss on her forehead, he withdrew his arm from around his girlfriend.

"Please, don't let me go," she whined, grabbing his hand. His body was warm and his presence comforting.

"I don't want to," he moaned in return, kissing her on the cheek before pushing his body off the side of the bed. He kissed the back of her hand before unhinging her fingers from around his. "You're making this more difficult for me."

"Ugh!" Kei groaned in disgust. "And you two are making me sick! Nakano, let's go!"

"Shut up, already!" he snapped back, pulling on his running shoes. "I'm coming, I'm coming."

Callie lay in the bed with her eyes squeezed shut to block out the light. The click of the door closing told her Kō and Kei were gone.

Alone, bereft of her ever so sweet companion, she curled into a tight ball while pulling the covers over her head. She wanted to hide from the world a little longer. But the world outside would not wait to invade her perfect peace.

"Callie," came a whisper from the darkness.

Throwing back the covers, Callie sat up in the bed. Her heart dared to beat right through her sternum from the shock of hearing the disembodied but familiar voice. Then she saw the body that belonged to the voice from the darkness.

Izumi stood in the middle of the bedroom, her hands clasped in front of her. Waiting patiently like always. When did she come in? Apparently, she had been right behind Kei.

"Izumi, what is it?"

"Do you still want to go to that coffee shop?" she asked.

"Yes!" Callie exclaimed, hopping out of the bed.

The mention of coffee was all the motivation she needed to get out of bed. In a flash she had rummaged through the drawers and found an outfit. After going into the bathroom and washing her face, she quickly donned the plain red t-shirt and fashionably ripped jeans. Izumi had done a great job choosing clothes for her. On her way out of the door, she thrust her feet into a pair of plain black thong sandals.

"Let's go!" she yelled out excitedly, grabbing Izumi by the wrist to pull her along.

"Hey!" the woman cried out in surprise at being dragged out of the room. Izumi dug the soles of her slip proof loafers into the floor bringing them to a literal screeching halt. "You're not a child, Callie. Calm down."

"I know. I'm sorry. I just can't help it." Callie dropped her wrist, waiting for Izumi to take the lead. She had no idea where they were going anyway. In her excitement to escape, she had forgotten that important detail. "I'm just so thrilled to be getting out of here for a while. To go back to the _real_ world, even for a minute."

"Is the so called real world really that great?" Izumi inquired, skepticism tainting her voice. "We're monsters with a target on our back. Your grandfather had no small part in bringing Ajins to the forefront of society and instilling fear and hate in the general public."

"Don't remind me," Callie mumbled, shoving her hands into the pockets of her tight jeans. She mostly referred to being reminded of the fact that the psychotic, self-proclaimed savior of the Ajin, Satō, was her grandfather. She hated having such a close, unbreakable affiliation with him. One cannot chose their family and that fact had brought her great pain and continued to do so.

They exited the building without passing a single person. Once they got outside, it was a different situation entirely. There were men everywhere. Some practicing hand to hand combat, others brushing up on their shooting skills, while others were engaged in physical training such as jumping jacks or running around the perimeter. This place operated like a military facility.

Callie saw Kei and Kō on the ground doing sit ups, Hirasawa and Tosaki standing over them with arms crossed while scowling in disapproval. She cringed when Tosaki looked up from Kei struggling to complete a sit up to glare at her.

"He really does hate Ajins, doesn't he?" she pondered aloud.

"He has a special hatred for you in particular. For being the granddaughter of Satō mostly," Izumi added bluntly. "He doesn't trust you and regards you with the apple doesn't fall far from the tree mentality."

Callie endured a pain in her heart as if Izumi had stabbed her with a knife. The truth really does hurt. "Gee, thanks for sparing my feelings, Shimomura. You're on a roll this morning. It's not like I could choose my bloodline. I certainly wouldn't have chosen this one."

"I knew you had feelings," she murmured, a smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"What?" Callie's eyes narrowed in confusion while she studied the usually impassive face of the woman who presently appeared to be on the verge of smiling.

"Nothing." Izumi allowed the smile to flow across her lips, curling up the edges into a pleasant grin.

"You're beautiful when you smile," Callie complimented her. "You should do it more often."

"Th-thank y-you," she stuttered, unsettled but flattered by the unexpected praise.

They walked through a door built into the stone wall next to the large, imposing main gate made of black cast iron fitted with shields of shiny silver iron on the outside to block out prying eyes. Once they had walked down the sidewalk a block, a whole new world opened up to them. Callie contemplated if she had stepped into a parallel universe of sorts.

A busy shopping district sprawled out on the streets ahead of them. Shops and restaurants lined both sides of the street as far as she could see. Although it wasn't quite five thirty, people moved in large groups like herds of cattle along the sidewalk.

The tires of vehicles humming on the pavement was punctuated by the occasional blow of a horn. The low roar of voices ebbed and flowed like waves in an ocean of sound. Shouts of shopkeepers hawking their wares cut through the mesmerizing noise. It was odd that none of these sounds could be heard inside the compound considering its proximity.

It had been a while since Callie had experienced the busyness of civilization. She didn't realize how much she had missed it. It all seemed so normal. For a moment, she felt as if she had awakened from a nightmare; that she wasn't an Ajin, and she was just a plain old human being again. Ignorance of her identity really had been bliss.

"This is a professional shopping district. People come here early in the morning to buy the necessary goods to stock their businesses," Izumi explained as they walked past the scurrying people who largely ignored them. Occasionally they received a nod or slight bow in acknowledgement. " We can hide in plain sight in a place like this. Everyone is too busy conducting their businesses and tending to their own affairs to pay much attention to us. I don't think anyone notices our place down the street at all. They probably think it's just an empty warehouse hidden behind big gates."

Callie glimpsed around at the organized chaos surrounding them. People passed them talking on their cell phones while others were engaged in the lively banter of bargaining with the merchants to make a great deal. Seeing the typical daily activity, experiencing the small degree of normalcy that reminded her of the hustle and bustle of the city where she lived, gave great solace to her. She found herself smiling for no particular reason. It felt nice.

Izumi turned suddenly to enter the front door of a building that looked more like a residence rather than a restaurant. They received suspicious glares from the people at the end of the coffee line that stopped only a few feet from the door.

Callie smiled. The line of people waiting to order their morning brew looked the same no matter what country one might be in. Several baristas rushed back and forth behind the counter among steaming coffee pots and hissing foamers, somehow managing not to bump into each other in their haste to fill orders. It was all disturbingly American, further reminding her of home.

Her heart panged a little, and her stomach cramped from the unexpected glut of emotion. Home. She missed her grandmother. Since her grandmother had died, there was no real reason to go back. However, finding Kō gave her a reason to stay here. He had even asked her to marry him. With him, she could find love and a whole new life. They could make a family of their own. Tears swam in her eyes in mourning of the life and family she had lost yet the hopeful longing the promise held in Kō's invitation to be his wife caused happiness to well inside her broken heart.

"Are you all right?" Izumi asked her, pausing at the bottom of the staircase that led to the second floor.

"I'm fine. Why?" Callie rejoined, sniffing back her tears.

"I've never seen someone look so happy and sad at the same time."

"I'm fine," she repeated. "I'm also starving. Let's go."

The second floor housed the full service restaurant, faintly reminiscent of an old-fashioned diner like the ones Callie loved to find off the beaten track at home. Despite appearing to be a simple diner on the surface, the food was served on gold rimmed china plates and the drinks in crystal vessels. There were full place settings on each table complete with cloth napkins. A beautiful and tasteful merging of simplicity and refinement.

They found a table on the balcony overlooking the street below. Callie gave into the temptation to eat a traditional, artery clogging American breakfast of eggs, bacon, and buttered toast. She ordered hazelnut coffee for herself and a pitcher of mimosas, champagne and orange juice, for the both of them to share. Izumi ordered a blueberry muffin and fresh fruit. For a minute, Callie felt guilty over her food choice. But only for a minute.

"I think I've found my new favorite restaurant," Callie announced, carefully unrolling the napkin to remove the utensils before laying it in her lap.

When the drinks arrived, Callie immediately poured them both a mimosa, sliding one glass over to her new friend. How could she not think of Izumi as a friend? The woman had been so helpful and kind to her.

A bit hesitant, Izumi sniffed the bubbling orange concoction in her champagne flute before taking a sip. Her nose wrinkled in disgust, and her body visibly shuddered.

"I don't like that," she grumbled, pushing the glass toward Callie. "I'm not too fond of alcohol anyway."

"Hey, at least you tried it. You never know what you'll like until you try it. Not every new experience can be a winner. Cheers!" Callie raised her glass in a toast to Izumi.

"Callie, have you had sex with Kō?" she inquired candidly. "Or Kei?"

Callie choked on her drink before she could finish the glass which she had to put down quickly before she dropped it. She coughed until she wheezed in her attempt to clear her lungs of the beverage she had accidentally inhaled when startled by Izumi's blunt personal question. When she could breathe again, she asked a question of her own in a raspy voice,"Why would you ask such a thing?"

"I don't know. You were talking about new experiences and all." Izumi's cheeks brightened to a pretty pink blush. The color continued to rise until her entire face turned crimson red. "I'm sorry. That was too personal. I shouldn't have asked."

"It's okay. You can ask me anything. Just be sure to warn me next time." Callie inhaled deeply before answering to clear her lungs. "Kō is my boyfriend. Yes, I have had sex with him. With Kei? Hell, no."

"Is it..." Her words gradually trailed off, and she toyed nervously with her napkin that lay folded on the table. "Is it good? Do you enjoy it?"

"Well, yes. Very much so on both accounts. I love him, and he loves me. That seems to make it better too." She watched the pain, a disconcerting blend of sadness, shame, and guilt, flit through the woman's maroon-brown eyes. The reason for Izumi's out of the blue and extremely personal questions became obvious. Callie surmised that Izumi had experienced sex under less than good circumstances, possibly without her consent at all.

"Oh," Izumi murmured, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. "I've never had sex with someone I love."

Callie wanted to say 'I'm sorry' but did not. She would not apologize for the heinous, selfish acts of a thoughtless individual. Besides, it would only magnify Izumi's pain by receiving pity in return. Instead, she silently reached across the table take the hurting woman's hand to still her anxious fingers fiddling with the thick cotton fabric of the napkin.

"Thank you for bringing me here," she said to change the subject.

Thankfully, their food arrived at the same time, saving them both from a long, uncomfortable pause. They ate in silence, swiftly emptying their overflowing plates and filling their bellies.

The conversation centered on what was going on below as small box trucks and larger delivery trucks began to rumble up the street. The vibrations of the big trucks could be felt in the trembling of the balcony hanging over the sidewalk below. No one seemed the slightest bit concerned about the platform falling because the diners continued to eat and converse while people below walked under it without hesitation.

While the two women enjoyed great food and friendly conversation, unaware of an insidious danger headed their way. Someone was busy working behind a keyboard, searching. This person had a mission, an oversimplified yet horribly complicated order given to him by Satō: find his granddaughter, Callie. The task would be akin to hunting the proverbial needle in a haystack a millions. He had every confidence in himself and his equipment he would be successful.

Okuyama had hacked into every major city's camera surveillance system and inserted an undetectable, virus like program into the facial recognition programs to pick up on faces that closely matched Callie's. Using her video, he had captured screenshots of her which he used to plot out the unique coordinates of her face. Then he created an algorithm to run in the recognition programs to search for her before sending the hits back to him for confirmation. It was a long shot that she would appear in a big city because it would be safer to stick to smaller towns and rural areas where there were no cameras. However, he had the feeling that she would believe the hiding in plain sight theory a better plan of action.

He sat on the couch beside Satō playing one of the video games the man indulged in frequently. At least they were playing on the same team in a cooperative military game. Otherwise his defeat would be assured in direct combat with his boss. He had figured doing this would be better than another eight hours of watching random pictures of women who were close but no match to Callie flash across the multiple screens.

"Ahhh," he groaned when his character received a shot to the head, killing him off. "Damn, snipers!"

"Gotta watch those rooftops, Okuyama." Satō aimed his character's assault rifle and fired, sending up a spray of blood from the rooftop where Okuyama's killer was hiding. His character promptly turned to the next rooftop and fired again. "When you respawn, we need to get up to higher grounds as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir." He was reluctant to hit the button to continue playing.

A loud ding sounded from his computer. Saved by the bell in the most literal sense. He put down his controller and hobbled over to his computer to look at the screen. There was a picture of a woman with a white grid being transposed over her face. White dots indicated the points that matched the facial recognition coordinates of his program. Although he recognized her without the digital confirmation, he pressed a button for the program to remap her face and recheck the points. A little box appeared in the middle of the screen flashing the words: 100% MATCH.

"Bingo," he mumbled, typing furiously to bring up the live camera feed. He watched the pretty young woman with wavy brown hair and kind eyes while she sipped her coffee. "Sir, I found her."

Satō paused his game and ambled over to the computer. He stared at the screen, his eyes opening wide to see his granddaughter who reminded him so much of the woman he had loved - and the son who had betrayed him. His hand patted the computer guru on the shoulder in congratulations for his success.

"Good job, Okuyama," he said. "She's a beautiful girl, isn't she Okuyama?"

The question made him antsy causing him to shift anxiously in his computer chair. He cleared his throat, but stuttered anyway when he answered. "Y-yes, sir." He cleared his throat again. "Want me to send Tanaka out to get her?" he inquired hopefully. He silently reveled in the idea of being able to order Tanaka around.

"No. Not yet. We have more important plans to attend to first. There are some important people who need to die."


	27. Chapter 27

The next day, Callie and Izumi ate breakfast in the cafeteria. They figured it best not to push their luck going out again and risk getting a lecture, or worse, from Tosaki. As they were finishing their meal, the men walked in, hot and sweaty from three hours of strenuous exercise.

Kei threw Callie a murderous glare when he passed her table. He had not spoken to her since he had received a beating from her on his arrival. He plopped down into a chair looking pale and exhausted. The purple and black bruises and angry red abrasions on his face were a ghastly contrast to his white skin.

Since Kei had seated himself as far across the room as he could get from the women, Kō bypassed the sullen grump to join them. Still bubbling over with energy, he greeted them both happily before sitting down to wolf down the copious amount of food stacked high on his plate.

"I'll be right back," Callie said, after watching Kei poke at his plate of eggs, rice, and fruit without eating much. He was being sulkier than usual.

"Okay," Kō returned, his voice muffled by all of the food stuffed in his mouth. He glanced at Izumi's plate which was still half full of food. "Are you going to eat that?"

Without a word, Izumi pushed the plate over to him. She kept her eyes on Callie who approached Kei. She observed the young man while he summarily ignored her friend, picking up his plate and walking away as if Callie were invisible despite her effort to engage him in conversation. The hurt from being snubbed showed on Callie's face. Why did she care so much about Kei Nagai?

"Shimomura," Tosaki called.

"Yes, sir," she responded automatically, standing to her feet.

"I want you and Owen to join us today. I'd like to see you two demonstrate the use of your IBMs." Once his orders had been issued, he walked away.

"You heard?" Izumi questioned Callie when she came to stand next to her.

"Yeah, I heard. He's such a prick," she muttered, following Izumi toward the door.

"Hey, wait!" Kō yelled after them. He gathered up all of their dishes and trays to return them while the women waited for him at the door.

"He's a really good guy, isn't he?" Izumi remarked.

"Yeah," Callie answered, smiling lovingly at Kō when he jogged toward them from across the dining hall. "He's a really, really good guy."

"You're a lucky woman. Don't screw it up by misplacing your affections," the woman warned her.

"Huh?" Callie glimpsed at Izumi who had turned her back to her. When the realization struck her of what Izumi implied, that she might have romantic feelings for Kei, she sucked in a deep breath. "Hey! You've got the wrong idea! I don't feel - "

"Is everything all right here?" Kō asked her. Both women suddenly seemed angry for some unknown reason. Unknown to him at least.

"Yeah, I think so. Let's go. We have orders," Callie snidely remarked without attempting to hide her animosity. She hated Tosaki as much as he hated her.

The men had gathered in a large circle with Tosaki and Hirasawa in the middle. It looked like a good, old-fashioned schoolyard brawl could break out at moment. Tosaki with his tall, skinny build and glasses fit the archetype of the weak nerd while Hirasawa, shorter but stockier and muscular, a killer by trade, could play the park of the stereotypical bully. Callie giggled at her overactive brain and its wild imaginings. However, those two would not be the ones fighting today anyway.

"Here they are now," Tosaki announced, promptly ending the spiel he had been giving the men. No doubt he had been detailing what was about to happen.

The men separated, stepping aside to create a pathway for the women to enter the circle. Wolf whistles and shouts of 'cat fight' ensued much to Tosaki's displeasure. His cold and lethal glare was all it took to shut the men up.

"Excuse me, sir," one of the younger officers called out. "How are we going to know what we're watching here? We can't see their IBMs."

Ogura entered the makeshift arena formed by humans. Men carrying buckets of sand and water followed behind him. He made quite a show of lighting a cigarette before he spoke.

"Ladies, if you will," he said without explaining the reason for the water and sand. The reason would be put into action soon. No verbal explanation necessary.

Both women took that as a cue to form their ghosts. Facing each other, they produced their IBMs. Callie chose the small, ferocious IBM from her arsenal. With directions from Ogura, the men with the buckets stepped forward to dump the contents on the ghosts to bring them into limited, half solid view of the onlookers. A collective gasp arose from the men at the sudden, almost magical, appearance of the previously invisible and otherwise undetectable beings.

Izumi's IBM swiped at its runty opponent. Built low to the ground and taking advantage of that fact, the smaller ghost ducked, dropping down in preparation to deliver a leg sweep in an attempt to bring the other crashing down. However, Izumi had been ready for that move, making her IBM reach out to grab the little one by the neck when it lunged for a frontal attack instead. Caught, trapped in the strong hands of its adversary, Callie's IBM struggled like a fly entangled in a spider's web.

"Are there rules?" Callie asked Tosaki, giving him a quick sidelong glance.

"Fights are never fair and rules do not apply when facing an enemy. Do what you must to win," he advised her. His sharp gaze switched to Izumi. He briefly caught her eye, pushing up his glasses with his middle finger before returning his arms to their position folded together in front of his chest. "That goes for you too, Izumi. Take her out by whatever means possible. Don't allow her to defeat you. That's an order."

Callie brought forth her IBM who closely resembled her father's body type which was tall and lanky like Tosaki's. The ghost haphazardly slashed downward to take off the head of the one holding his companion IBM.

Izumi's ghost disappeared in a burst of black particles. She quickly formed another one behind the tall IBM, thrusting his lengthy, taloned fingers through the abdomen of Callie's ghost.

"What's going on?" one of the men with full buckets murmured.

"There's two new ones. Right there and there," Ogura pointed to guide the men to throw the buckets of water and sand to bring the second set of IBMs into view.

The two beings partially materialized in their sandy coating about the time Callie's impaled IBM reached behind his head to seize his attacker by the head. He fell to one knee while simultaneously dragging the other ghost over his shoulder to throw his enemy onto his back. Now free, the short IBM took the opportunity to rush toward Izumi with the intent of hitting her, possibly to kill her.

A fourth IBM appeared, sent from the sidelines by Kei. The creature snatched Callie off her feet, slamming her body to the ground like an opponent in a wrestling match. The black ghost sat down on her, straddling her hips and pinning her arms to the ground beside her head. Her ghosts turned to assist her but disappeared abruptly when his leaned down to head butt her, knocking her unconscious.

"Nagai! Stop!" Shimomura screamed when the IBM raised its hand in preparation to deliver a death blow by cutting her throat.

The IBM slowly stood to its feet while everyone held their breath, unsure of what would happen next. The ghost slouched over, swaying side to side like a drunk man while he stomped away in the manner of pouting child. The black ghost harbored and exhibited Kei's deepest emotions and thoughts that he refused to show outwardly himself.

"This is so boring. You people are so tiresome," the IBM growled in its watery voice. "I hate all of you. I really hate her."

"Callie!" Kō hollered, running to her.

"Nagai!" Tosaki yelled. "Thank you for volunteering. You're Izumi's new opponent."

Without hesitation or giving him a second to prepare, Izumi sent her IBM to launch an assault on Kei's. Her pointy headed ghost, slammed into his, shoving him backwards and knocking them both to the ground. He delivered several well placed punches to the face of Kei's black ghost before her IBM opened its hand, the talons lengthening to administer a powerful swipe to decapitate his foe and end the altercation. With the threat neatly dispatched, she went to where Kō knelt beside his girlfriend.

"Kō, take Callie to the infirmary," Izumi told him, kneeling down on the other side of Callie. She gave her a quick once over, studying the goose egg that had risen on her head from being head butted by the IBM.

"No," Callie groaned, gingerly touching the large bump that had risen. "I'm fine. I just need an ice pack."

"Nagai!" Tosaki yelled. Everyone was beginning to hate that name because Tosaki screamed it so often. "Run! Start running! Run until I tell you stop!"

"Why?! I didn't do anything wrong!" Kei argued. "You're the one who said there are no rules to a fight."

"Run!" he commanded, signaling his men to raise their tranquilizer guns.

"I want to learn how to shoot!" Kō exclaimed. Presently, he'd be more than happy to shoot Kei in the ass with a tranquilizer dart.

Kei snarled like a bad tempered dog, scowling at Tosaki. He jogged past his white haired nemesis, growling, "I should have killed you when I had the chance."

"Run or I'll pickle you in formaldehyde!" He turned his attention to the three people on the ground. "Take her inside. Get her an ice pack. Or kill her to heal her. I don't care."

"Prick," Callie muttered.

"Leave my anatomy out of this, Owen."

"Gladly. It's more of a commentary on your charming personality though, Tossaki." She purposely mispronounced his name, watching with dark glee when his face twisted in aggravation.

"Inside," he ordered them. "Now. Before I make all three of you run laps with Nagai."

~\\..'../~

After dinner, Callie decided to take a relaxing stroll in the pleasant evening air. She stuck to the outer perimeter, seeking solitude before returning to Kō. She needed a little time to be alone, to think and work through some things. Kō accused her of thinking too much. He had not been the first man to do that.

She had come to here to Japan to figure out some things about herself, her life in general, in addition to finding her grandfather. Then a few other complications had arisen. One she believed she could love for a lifetime. She would do anything to be with him. The other grated on her nerves in all the wrong ways yet she felt driven by this undeniable urge to save him from becoming like Satō. It was that damnable hero complex that had pushed her into nursing.

Callie sighed, hugging herself to combat against the chill that ran through her on the inside having nothing to do with the temperature of the air. Suddenly a new understanding of Satō flooded her consciousness shaking her to her core. She and her grandfather did share at least one important thing in common: a basic motivation to save people no matter what the cost. His desire to preserve their kind, the Ajins, at the expense of exterminating 'normal' humans, was right and good to him. His motivation for committing extreme acts of violence was not so different than hers. She was slowly coming to terms with her willingness to kill anyone, human or Ajin, to protect those she loved. Only the means to bring about the sought after ends were dissimilar. On that, they simply would never agree.

Turning her eyes to the sky, she studied the gorgeous sunset. The waning sun painted the sky in splendid shades of purple, blue, red, and orange. Sunsets were always her favorite method to experience nature's picturesque glory. Once the sun had melted away, allowing the stars to come out to shine in the moonless black sky, she decided she should go back inside.

Taking a short cut back through the thicket of trees that bisected the property, she saw Kei sitting on the decorative stone wall that followed the curve of the gradual hill. She would try to talk to him one more time today.

Callie sat down on the stone wall about three feet away from him, close but not too close. She fully expected Kei to get up and walk away from her like he had earlier in the cafeteria. When he did not immediately reject her, she anxiously waited for a glower, a grunt - some act of displeasure to acknowledge her presence. Hoping for a positive reaction would be expecting too much. When he continued staring and poking at the electronic device in his hand, she kicked her feet and chewed on her lower lip like a nervous child.

"What do you want?" Kei asked, expelling an exasperated sigh along with his words.

"I want to say I'm sorry," she replied, risking a quick glance at him.

He never looked up from the hand held computer. She had seen him like this before. Apparently he was busy formulating a plan.

"For what?"

"For this," she said, reaching out to touch his face between where the darkened ring of his black eye ended and the dark purple bruise on his cheek began. She recoiled as if she had been burned when he jerked away from her touch. "You really didn't deserve it."

"Why do you think I didn't deserve it?" He finally looked up at her.

"Kō told me why you turned me over to Tosaki." Doubts started to mount in her mind when one of his eyebrows raised questioningly. He was obviously wondering what Kō had divulged about his motive. "He said you did it to protect me."

"Hmph," he snorted in contempt, his eyes moving back to the small computer. "I told him that to put his ridiculous suspicions to rest. You are simply a valuable and powerful pawn I put into play. I figured Tosaki would jump at the chance to get the granddaughter of Satō into his custody so I used you as bait. I need Tosaki's backing, his manpower, his access to weapons and intel resources. Like I told you before, you're an integral part of my plan to draw Satō out of whatever hole he's crawled into. I also think you might be able to make him vulnerable using your family ties."

"Well, I guess that was stupid of me to think you might actually care about me," she mumbled, turning her face up to look at the sky. "Besides, I doubt Satō would fall into such a ridiculous and shallow trap. He doesn't care about me. Do you really think he gives a damn about family ties? You can't use a vulnerability he doesn't have against him."

"Don't be silly. Of course he cares. On some level. The undeniable fact is he's actively searching for you." Kei paused, casting a sideways glance at her. His cold, hard eyes searched hers. "He's willing to kill to find you."

Callie's stomach turned sour, nausea enveloping her like a hot, wet blanket. Poor Mr. Yamaguchi. He didn't deserve to die. She was beginning to change her mind about beating the snot out of Kei. He did have it coming. If she didn't leave quickly, she might do it again. Like an annoying little brother, he really knew how to push her buttons. She hopped down from the wall, brushing the bits of grass and dirt from her hands.

Callie bowed her head in a silent good-bye, twisting on her heel in preparation to walk away. She was tired. Every conversation with him exhausted her. Never in her life had she met such an emotionally taxing person, and she had endured coping with some severely emotionally draining people in her career. She picked up one leaden foot to begin the journey back to her room where Kō waited for her.

"How's your head?" Kei asked before she took another step.

Callie raised her hand to her forehead, carefully touching the prominent bump. It was still pretty big but not as big as a few hours ago. Her head only ached a little unlike earlier when rampaging elephants were trampling her brain.

"It's better. Thank you for asking. Good night, Kei."

"You're so polite, Callie. You're sweet. Too nice."

Callie could not discern if he was being sarcastic or sincere. He had his moments of allowing emotion to seep through the hard shell he had formed around them. She remained standing with her back to him. Looking at his face would not yield any clues as to the intentions behind his words anyway.

"He may be your grandfather, but you are different from him, you know. You're not some emotionally maladjusted psychopath who treats killing people like it's a game. And you're not like me because you can genuinely care about people and feel emotions. You really piss me off sometimes. I guess I actually admire your willingness to be weak and put yourself at risk just to love people who could potentially do nothing but cause you pain."

"Thanks?" Was that some sort of twisted compliment?

"Why do you try so hard to get close to me? Why do you want to care about me?"

"I don't know. Maybe because you have so much in common with my grandfather. I suppose I was thinking if I could get through to you, I might have a chance of getting through to him."

Callie turned to look at Kei. He was still sitting on the brick wall, but for the first time during their conversation his attention was riveted on her. His dark eyes examined her face intently before connecting with hers. Her eyes resolutely stared back into his, her determination voiding any emotion she might be feeling.

"I don't know which one of us is more frightening. I don't feel anything at all. You seem to be able to turn your emotions on or off depending on the situation," Kei said, his eyes shifting away from hers then returning.

"You're lying, saying that you don't feel anything at all," she murmured in a low voice which made her sound threatening. She could tell her tone surprised him by the way his eyes briefly opened wide before returning to their normal size. "You feel everything. Maybe more than I do. You chose to ignore it because your feelings frighten you. And you're right. Emotions do make you weak. But I'd rather be weak and be surrounded by people I love than to be strong and all alone."

"Callie, can I give you a bit of advice?"

Callie doubted she wanted to hear any 'words of wisdom' from him. Her curious nature got the best of her. "Sure. Tell me, Sensei. Impart your earth shattering revelation to me."

His lips tilted into a lopsided smirk. "Such a smart ass. I suppose it's the one thing I could like about you."

"I'm flattered, your highness."

"You're smart. You're strong. Those two things make you a good fighter." When she opened her mouth to issue yet another caustic comment, he rushed on,"But you're crazy."

"What?" She tilted her head like a confused puppy.

"Get your crazy under control, and you'll be even better. Don't allow your emotions to overpower you and make you lose control. Stay in control of your thoughts and emotions at all times and you're be on equal terms with Satō. As it stands now, he could demolish you with just a few strategic words."

Callie lowered her eyes to the ground to stare at her bare toes. She had forgotten to put on her sandals before she left to take her walk. He was correct in his assessment. She did have a tendency to allow her emotions to overwhelm her, pushing aside rational thought which in turn caused her to do dumb, reckless things. That is how she wound up in Japan after all; on a whim fueled by an emotional bender after the dual shocks of her grandmother's death compounded by the knowledge of her identity as an Ajin. After arriving here, the emotional roller coaster did not stop.

"Hey, stop spacing out and listen to me," Kei admonished her.

"I heard you. Every single word," she murmured, gradually meeting his gaze. She hauled in a deep breath to steady her nerves and to keep her tears at bay. The last thing she wanted to do right now was cry in front of him. As much as it irritated her and damaged her pride, she would admit defeat in the battle of wills with him tonight. "You're right. I'll do better at managing my emotions. Good night, Kei."

"Good night, Callie."

She whirled around on her heel, walking fast to get away from him. On her way down the narrow path through the trees, she saw Mr. Hirasawa coming toward her.

"Good evening, Miss Owen," he greeted her politely.

"Likewise, Mr. Hirasawa," she returned, her voice wavering slightly.

"I'm guessing Nagai is that way?" He gave her a friendly smile, jerking his chin in the direction behind her back.

"He is. Good night, sir," she added, wanting to be on her before she lost her valiant battle with her tears.

"Good night, young lady." Hirasawa sighed wearily. Nagai could be a tremendous prick. Just like Tosaki. Perhaps that was why they clashed so violently; they were too much alike and both would be loathe to admit it. Wherever either one of them went, emotional trauma was sure to follow. Although he could not give Tosaki a piece of his mind, Nagai was not so lucky. He would have to give that boy a good talking to.


	28. Chapter 28

Callie entered her room to see Kō lying in the bed reading a book. He sat propped up on a pile of pillows stacked behind his back against the headboard. He was bare chested with the sheet gathered around his waist. She could not tell if he was completely naked since his lower half was covered by the sheet and blanket. Reaching behind her, she locked the door.

"Hi, honey," he warmly greeted her, lowering his book to look at her.

"Hi yourself, handsome," she rejoined, kicking off her shoes on the way to the bed. She lay down on her belly at the foot of the bed, crawling between his legs that were spread open under the covers. Ducking her head under his book, she wiggled her way between his arms to lie down on his chest.

"Miss me?" he asked, a flirtatious little grin tilting his lips. He pressed a gentle kiss to her readily offered mouth.

"Always," she murmured against his lips. She pushed her mouth firmly to his, sighing with contentment from his sweet kiss. Laying her head on his chest, she listened to his heart beating. Such a pleasant, calming sound. However, his heart seemed to be thumping a little harder and faster than it should be for someone in such a relaxed state.

"Did you think about my proposal?" he inquired, stroking her hair.

No wonder his heart was beating too fast. Hers picked up a few beats per minute as well.

"I did," she responded coyly, flipping over onto her back. She fitted herself neatly between his arms, reclining against his body. Her eyes scanned the words on the page on the left side of the book he still held open in his hands. It was a lengthy description of how to assemble a gun from all of its singular pieces. Diagrams of a gun and all of its parts dominated the right page. "What are you reading?'

"One of the guys lent me a book about guns. He said I should read it to get familiar with a gun and how it works before I can learn how to shoot one," he explained, setting the open book down with the pages facing the bed hold his place.

It sounded like a stalling technique to her to avoid teaching him how to shoot a gun. She held her breath when he inhaled a deep breath that quivered slightly when he exhaled.

"Don't avoid my question again. Will you marry me?"

Stalling was something she could not do much longer herself. Actually, she had already made her decision.

"What if...just, what _if,_ mind you, I said yes?" she questioned him, continuing to be coquettish and evasive.

"I'd say you've made me the happiest man on earth. And in return I will make you the happiest woman on earth." He paused, putting his arms around her, flattening his palms on her belly. His lips brushed across her neck before he nibbled on her earlobe. He whispered in her ear, "So are you saying yes?"

"Yes," she answered, turning her head to catch his lips with hers for a kiss as if to seal the deal.

"I have something for you," he said, slipping a hand under the pillow behind his back. He produced a crude ring he had made himself by braiding a bit of silver colored scrap wire and twisting it into a circle.

Callie's throat constricted with the sudden rush of joy, making it impossible for her to speak. Heat swelled in her chest and extended througout her limbs giving her whole body a surreal, floating sensation. Tears surged and overflowed her eyelids.

"I-it's not m-much," he stuttered anxiously, taking her left hand in his. He held up her hand to slide the ring onto her finger. The shaking of her body alerted him that she was crying even though he could not see her face. Happy tears he hoped. "I know it's a little silly and stupid. It's just a piece of junk, but it will have to do until I can get you a real ring."

Callie's fingers trembled while she held up her hand to stare at the homemade ring. Plain old wire, not even made of any precious metal, but it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

"I love it," she choked out through her tears. She rolled back over onto her belly, taking his face between her unsteady hands. "I love you so much."

His arms enveloped her body, holding her tightly against his chest. Her eyes shimmered with the tears that streaked unchecked down her lightly blushed cheeks.

"Will you be mine? Always?" he added giving her a sheepish grin.

Callie nodded vigorously, leaning forward to fit her mouth to his.

"I promise that one day I really will make you the happiest woman on earth," he swore to her while she rained tiny kisses all over his face along with her joyful teardrops.

"Oh, you silly thing," she chided him playfully. "You already do."

Callie lay back down on top of him, her tear dampened cheek pressed to the warm, smooth skin of his pectoral muscle, her breasts flattening against his hard belly. Another hardness below his abdomen pushed into her belly, but she did not seem to notice until he grunted in discomfort. Finally aware of his physical distress, she lifted her body slightly, pushing herself upwards to kiss him.

"I want to make you happy too," she whispered, brushing the tip of her nose across the tip of his.

"Are you sure? I know you've been dealing with a lot of stuff and haven't wanted to have...you know," he mumbled, blushing cutely while avoiding saying the word sex.

"You're positively adorable. How do you remain so sweet, so innocent, despite what you've gone through?"

His perpetual wide-eyed innocence, his sincere naiveté, had been one of his attributes that captivated her from the moment she met him. His eyelids drooped heavily, his eyelashes skimming the tops of his pink tinted ivory cheeks. In a state of full blown lust he still managed to appear guileless and vulnerable. His tongue nervously licked over his bottom lip leaving it glossy which naturally invited a kiss. She gleefully obliged.

Her hands skimmed over his well built chest before hooking around his neck while they kissed each other with enticing slowness. Sensual desire coiled in her lower belly, tensing the muscles of her abdomen and thighs. Her mouth slipped from his until his bottom lip nestled between both of hers, and she sucked it lightly. A deep, animal-like sound akin to a growl rolled from his chest and through his parted lips, increasing her excitement.

Kō's hand followed the curve of her shoulders, sliding down to massage the hollow at the small of her back momentarily before pushing across the roundness of the top of her butt cheek to cup her fabulously muscled ass. He clenched his fingers, squeezing then kneading her toned behind until she shifted in his strong, single armed embrace with the carnal yearning that continued to build inside of her.

"C-can I m-make love to you?" he stammered between pecks on his lips.

"Oh, yes, please," she murmured, moving to straddle his body, sitting on his thighs. Her fingers raked through his hair, pulling his mouth to hers for a kiss that threatened to suffocate them both in its intensity.

Kō's hands burrowed under the bottom hem of her black t-shirt, pushing the thin cotton upward while his hands glided over her body. Reluctantly, he broke the kiss, but only for the purpose of removing her shirt. His extended fingers slid over her shoulders and up her arms, stripping the soft material from her body to discard it onto the floor. He pulled her forward, burying his face in the generous cleavage created by the black lace push up bra she wore.

Callie giggled because the vibration of his lips on her skin tickled. Her chuckling morphed into mewling sighs while his lips covered the round tops of her breasts with dozens of little kisses.

His clumsy fingers worked to unhook the insidious piece of clothing keeping him from touching her nipples. Floundering like a blind man in an unfamiliar place, he pushed and pulled on the elastic strap until he heard the satisfying pop of the release of the hook and eye then her small but heavy breasts were freed from their satin and lace confines. The bra was haphazardly tossed to join the t-shirt somewhere on the floor.

"Kō," she gasped, clutching his head with both hands when he latched onto one hardened nipple.

His big hands moved over her body giving her the most tempting massage. He rubbed her shoulders before pushing his fingers into her shoulder blades with pain inducing strength. She cried out when the pain swiftly transformed into pleasure after her muscles relaxed under his manipulation. Her lower back received a brief but masterful massage from his powerful fingers. His touch became more gentle, the pressure turning feather light, teasing her in the most delightful way. She sighed with longing when his fingers traced the top of her jeans from the back around to the front where his forefingers slipped under the waistband to grasp the button. She angled her hips forward to offer him a better position at which to unbutton her jeans.

A short, sharp cry punctured the air when Kō startled her by seizing her by the waist and flipping her over onto her back. Her head hung over the foot of the bed until he pulled her away from the edge. Another burst of giggles escaped her when he hovered over her, tugging at her jeans to take them off. Raising her hips, she assisted him with peeling off the tight denim that was like a second skin.

"Do you have to wear such tight clothes?" he grumbled, jerking at the stubborn material that insisted on clinging to her legs.

"But you like the way they look," she argued, kicking in an attempt to free herself. She accidentally struck him in the chest knocking him backwards to send him sprawling onto the mattress on his back but not before his head hit the headboard with a loud 'thunk.'

"Ow!" he howled in pain, rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh, my god!" she exclaimed, snatching off the pants to throw them on the floor. She quickly moved to kneel above him on all fours, reaching around to rub his sore head which pushed her bare breasts into his face. "Are you okay?"

"Much better I think. But I can't breathe," he informed her in a muffled voice because his nose and mouth were buried in her chest.

"Oh, sorry," she apologized unnecessarily, backing up a bit to uncover his face.

"Are you trying to kill me?" He sat up in the bed still massaging his tender skull.

"Maybe. But what a way to go, huh?" she joked, wiggling her eyebrows.

"You're such a tease," he growled playfully, lunging at her.

He pushed her over onto her back, once again positioning them with their heads toward the lower part of the bed. His fingers drifted over her cheek, then he placed a tender kiss there. His fingers tickled her neck where he placed a line of kisses down to her chest. Every place his fingers stroked his mouth soon followed.

Callie moaned and squirmed under him while his enticing little touches continued lower and lower on her body. She held her breath when his fingers glided along her slippery inner thighs, upward to the source of wetness that had coated them. At least the damn stubborn jeans had taken her underwear with them when they finally came off. A cry of pleasure, close to a plaintive yowl, escaped her when he pushed two of his fingers inside her. Her body took them willingly despite them being a substitute for what she really wanted.

"I want you," she begged him, undulating her hips to meet his hand movements. Moaning into his ear, she pulled him close, smashing her breasts to his chest.

"Soon," he assured her, probing deeper inside of her.

"Now, who's being a tease?"

"Hmmm, patience, my dear."

Callie held onto him, accepting the manual stimulation gratefully. Her hand covered his, directing his fingers and thumb to proper placement to maximize the pleasure he sought to give her. A sudden, intense burst of pleasure, so sharp that it actually stung, stabbed her deep inside setting off exquisite explosions of carnal delight in every nerve ending. The climax hit her suddenly and hard like an unexpected avalanche, engulfing her in a sea of bliss. Opening her mouth, she emitted a long, low moan that bordered on a howl to express her enjoyment.

"Holy hell," he mumbled, removing his hand from her body. "That was fast."

"Yeah, but god, was it good," she panted, placing her hands on his waist as he positioned himself between her legs.

Kō thrust into her ready and wanting body without any further provocation. His guttural groan mingled with her husky moan creating a loud noise that sounded more like they were in pain rather than experiencing pleasure. Hopefully the walls were soundproof, however, at this time, neither one of them cared. Their lovemaking was raw, straightforward, and passionate; a torrid meeting of bodies driven by the overpowering need to connect emotionally as well as physically. They strived to be as close as two humans can be, to become one in both mind and body.

Callie nuzzled his neck, kissing along the line of the throbbing artery under his skin. He kissed her mouth, her forehead, the tip of her nose. His eyes met hers, both of them smiling like drunken idiots. She nudged him with her hips as if asking if he wanted to speed up.

He did not. He gradually sank into her completely, pausing to allow both of them to relish the fullness, the completeness of their intimate union. Moments like this he wanted to savor, to make it last as long as possible.

The movements of their bodies were deliberate, unhurried. They had no where to go. There was no place they would rather be than in each others arms. Their eyes remained locked, giving each other their undivided attention, immersing themselves in the other. The build up was gradual, mounting with a wonderful languid quality that left their bodies quaking in their determination to maintain control.

"Kō," Callie gasped, willing herself not to close her eyes, not to severe eye contact with him when her limbs started to tremble in anticipation of the blissful end. "Please..."

"I'm there," he groaned, allowing his eyes to drift closed.

"Oh, god," she moaned, pulling her mouth to his when they reached the height and topple over into the bottomless chasm of carnal delight.

Their mouths pressed together, their tongues dancing a sensual tango to complete their union while muffling their moans induced by the throes of passion. A writhing tangle of arms and legs, only their hips moved in the subsequent waves of orgasmic enjoyment. The end left them shuddering in each others arms, drenched in sweat and tears. They lay soaked in the afterglow of carnal joy, their bodies shivering in elation.

"One of these days, we'll find a little place of our own. Away from everyone who wants to hurt us. We'll live happily ever after. I swear to you, I'll protect you and love you for the rest of my life," Kō said earnestly.

Callie knew without a doubt that he would do everything he could to keep that promise. Unfortunately, that day would not be tomorrow; and it would not be any day to come for quite a while. She held up her hand to stare at the makeshift ring made with sincerity and genuine love. Would there really be a happily ever after for them? _One of these days..._


	29. Chapter 29

Callie walked out of her bedroom feeling light as air. Floating in the clouds of her happiness, she would swear her feet did not touch the floor. A strong hand clamping down on her shoulder knocked her off of Cloud Nine and brought her hurtling back down to Earth with a scream. She whirled around to see Izumi standing behind her hiding a smile behind her hand while faking a cough.

"Goddammit, Izumi!" she shrieked, tears welling in her eyes from the fright. "You're like a fucking stalker! Don't scare me like that!"

"I didn't mean to scare you, but you didn't hear me calling your name. I'm sorry," Izumi apologized, wiping away the big, fat tear rolling down Callie's cheek. "Let me make it up to you by taking you out to breakfast."

"Sure. But what about Tosaki?" Callie swiped irritably at the next tear that slid from her eye.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt us," she mumbled, noticing the ring on Callie's finger. She startled her companion again by seizing her hand and jerking her forward to examine the crude wire ring.

"Whoa!"

"What is this? Are you engaged?"

"I am. He asked last night." Callie bounced on her tiptoes with excitement, grinning happily from ear to ear.

"Congratulations. I'm so happy for you both," Izumi said despite not sounding happy at all. She hugged Callie tightly. "Oh, we definitely need to go to breakfast. We have something to celebrate."

~\\..'../~

Callie and Izumi had barely entered the small gate of the compound when they heard Kō yelling for them. He ran toward them at full speed, his eyes wild and his facial muscles drawn in sheer panic. What tragedy had come knocking on their door this time?

"Where have you been? Tosaki is having a shit fit! He called a meeting and you two were no where to be found!" he hollered, sliding to a stop in front of them.

"What's going on?" Izumi asked, concern creasing her forehead into multiple wrinkles.

"I don't know, but he's really pissed you two weren't here," he added, belaboring the point they understood loud and clear the first time. He grabbed Callie's hand to pull her along to the building. "We need to hurry. Everybody's waiting in the cafeteria."

The people of Tosaki's core group occupied the cafeteria. This included Kei, Hirasawa and three of his highest ranking and most trusted men; and of course, an extremely annoyed Yū Tosaki who impatiently tapped his fingers on his thigh while he paced a line across the front of the room.

When Kō entered with the women who had been AWOL (absent without leave) all eyes were on them. They felt like rebellious teenagers who had snuck out of the house without permission. Hostile glares stabbed them with invisible daggers of anger from every person, but Tosaki's were particularly sharp. Perhaps sometimes it was better to ask permission rather than forgiveness since Tosaki was not a forgiving man.

"Shimomura, Owen!" Tosaki exclaimed with exaggerated cheerfulness to further express his annoyance. "I'm so glad you could join us today."

Izumi and Callie quickly sat down at the table closest to the television but furthest away from where Tosaki presently stood. Kō sat down between them, keeping a tight grip on his fiancee's hand.

Tosaki pressed enter on the keyboard of his laptop to play the queued video. The video opened to show Satō sitting on a bed, possibly in a hotel room, holding a pistol in his hand that casually lay against his knee. He exuded an eerie sense of calm while openly displaying his murderous intentions.

"Ah, so we meet once again, it's Satō," he says as if he needs an introduction. "As far as I can see the government has not as of yet, responded to my demands. so I decided to get started."

The camera panned to the right to show a man wearing a white dress shirt, navy blue tie, and black dress pants tied to a chair. His mouth is gagged but he is grunting while he struggles uselessly against his bonds. Tears pour like tiny rivers from his eyes that are stretched open so wide with terror they are in danger of popping out of his head. Pleas for his life are muffled into pathetic whimpers by the thick cloth in his mouth.

Callie visibly cringed, hugging her arms around her body. This monster, her own flesh and blood, evoked such a profound sense of revulsion inside of her she gagged. She glanced at Kei, meeting his eyes that were fixed on her. He gave her a barely perceptible shake of his head, reminding her that she was not like her grandfather. When Kō squeezed her hand, she turned her head to look at him.

"Are you all right?" he whispered from two tables away.

"I'm fine," she lied. Despite the queasy, slippery sensation in her gut, she forced her eyes back to the television screen to watch the impending murder unfold.

Satō virtually strutted the few feet across the room to reach the fearful, trembling man in the chair. He lay his hand on his captive's shoulder in a deceptively friendly gesture. "That's right. At the top of the batting order, Dr. Wakai."

He grabs the thrashing Dr. Wakia's chin, holding his head still while leaning down, almost coming nose to nose with the man nearly driven mad with fright. "All right."

Callie started to shiver, anticipating her grandfather's inevitable and violent next move.

Satō let go of the man's face, standing up straight and bringing the gun up to Dr. Wakai's temple. She wanted to look away. She knew she should look away. Unfortunately, human nature seemed to be mesmerized by the horror of outrageously offensive acts committed in plain sight. Like a metaphorical train wreck, she could not tear her eyes away from the grisly scene about to occur.

"Batter up."

And he pulled the trigger. Bone shattered with a gut-wrenching crack when the bullet entered his left temple. Hair and skin exploded from the right side of Dr. Wakai's head upon exit of the bullet. A spray of blood mixed with pulsing globs of brain matter splattered across the bare cream colored wall of the hotel room. Dr. Wakai's eyes remained wide open, but his body stilled and his cries fell silent.

"And this is the beginning of the countdown."

Callie clamped her hand over mouth to hold back her breakfast that rushed back up her throat in an acidic tidal wave and filled her mouth. Unable to speak, for fear of losing what she was so desperately holding back, she stood up to run out of the room to the nearest bathroom. Once on her feet her, heat and dizziness enveloped her while darkness filled her vision sending her crashing to the floor. Although unconscious, her body heaved ejecting the contents of her stomach.

"Oh, god," Izumi gasped, kneeling beside Callie. She swiftly pulled Callie's face out of the puddle of vomit before she could aspirate it causing serious long range complications.

"Callie!" Kō cried out, jumping to his feet.

"Kō, go get a doctor," she commanded him.

Kō appeared torn, wanting to stay with Callie but knowing he should go for help. He looked at Kei with a pleading expression.

"You stay with her. I'll go," Kei grumbled irritably. He glowered openly at Kō. "This is why it's easier not to feel anything for anybody. Emotional ties make you weak and indecisive. Acting like this will make you a liability to us." He glimpsed at the unconscious Callie. "And to her."

Kei angrily stomped out of the room to find a doctor.

"Here," Hirasawa said, handing Kō a damp washcloth and a dry towel. "Clean that mess off of her. She would be embarrassed to be seen like this."

"Y-yes," he stammered, lowering his body to the floor. He gently wiped at the putrid vomit on her cheek.

"What's wrong with you?" Izumi questioned him under her breath so no one else would hear. "Why are you freaking out?"

"She's so pale," he mumbled, tenderly cleaning Callie's chin. "I've never seen her so helpless. She's usually the one in control, taking care of those who need help. She was an emergency room nurse for god's sake." He continued wiping her face with the towel. "I can't lose her. Nothing can happen to her. She's an Ajin, right? So she won't die."

"Right, of course," she assured him.

Minutes later, Kei returned with two of the doctors along with a janitor carrying a bucket and mop. The doctors gave her a cursory exam, checking her pulse, her heartbeat with a stethoscope, and her pupils reaction to a tiny flashlight. One called her name, gently tapping her cheeks with his fingertips. When she did not respond, the other man clad in green scrubs lifted her up into his arms to carry her to a proper examination room.

Then the janitor set to work cleaning the mess inadvertently left behind by Callie. Once he vacated the room, everyone settled into a chair and Tosaki took his place in front of the room to address everyone. He replayed the video in its entirety. Satō ended the video by threatening a third and final wave of events if his demands were not met, reiterating his goal of taking over the country.

"Around ten minutes ago, This video was uploaded to ajin dot net," Tosaki began. "A storm's coming."

Kei rolled his eyes, barely resisting the temptation to issue an extremely sarcastic 'duh.' Tosaki sometimes had a real talent for stating the obvious.

"Mr. Tosaki," Kei said, raising his hand as if he were at school.

"What, Nagai?" Tosaki snapped, gnashing his teeth to maintain his temper.

"I have a suggestion for our next move."

"And what would that be?"

"Why don't we implant a tracking device in Callie and allow Satō to take her? Maybe she can take a phone with her as well to enable communication...to give us more specific information than just his location," Kei suggested.

"Are you crazy?!" Kō bellowed, jumping out of his chair. The scrape of the metal legs on the tile set everyone's teeth on edge before the chair flipped backwards banging the tile floor so loudly the everyone jumped. "No! I won't let you do it! You can't!"

"I believe Callie can answer for herself. Besides, you're not married to her yet. You don't own her. Not that she would ever allow you to tell her what to do anyway."

Kō lunged toward Kei, but Izumi grabbed his wrist to stop him. He kept his fiery gaze on Kei while freeing his wrist by twisting it and snatching it out of Izumi's grasp. "Wasn't it enough that you wanted her to be taken by Tosaki? Why would you give her to that monster Satō? I won't allow it. I won't let you do it!"

"Sit down, Nakano! Miss Owen will be allowed to make her own decision," Tosaki interjected. This matter was one of the few on which he and Kei agreed. The final decision would be up to Callie. If she said no, Kei would be forced to come up with a different plan.

"But - " Kō searched every face in the room in hopes of finding an ally or someone with a different plan. Impassive faces stared back at him, offering him nothing, not even a sympathetic frown. His eyes rested on Izumi who avoided looking at him entirely. "Izumi, please? Can't you - "

"Mr. Tosaki's right. Callie should be asked if she's willing to do it."

"She will say yes," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. He bore the bewildered and dejected expression of a man forced to accept a dismal fate beyond his control. After righting the chair, he plopped down heavily onto the unpadded seat, hanging his head in defeat.

"For god's sake, Nakano, it's not like she can be killed," one of Hirasawa's men said in a misguided endeavor to help.

"It's true she can't die, but there are worse things than death," Kei interrupted. He knew personally about those things that could be worse than death. He had been ruthlessly tortured in the name of science. He would not dare to imagine the atrocities Satō would allow to happen to Callie despite her being his own granddaughter. He loved a good game and Callie would be a most impressive opponent. "Satō would do things to her that would make death a merciful dream she'll never be able to obtain."

Tosaki waited until an uncomfortable silence to lingered over the group like a menacing black cloud.

"Nagai, when she wakes up, you talk to her. Until then, we will work out the details of the plan and what to do afterward." Tosaki gave Kei a piercing look. "I'm trusting this mission to you. Whether we succeed or fail sits squarely on your shoulders."

Kei nodded, pressing his lips together until they became a single thin white line of determination. _No pressure._

~\\..'../~

Kei stood in the corner of the room observing the doctors and nurses with genuine interest since he desired to be a doctor one day himself. In a matter of minutes, they had drawn blood, checked her vitals, and injected a pale yellow fluid into her IV line before exciting the room in the stately, hurried manner of medical professionals. He approached the bed, studying her face that had been scrubbed so thoroughly her pale cheeks had turned a rosy pink. The light brown freckles dotting her face stood out in stark contrast to her white skin giving her an innocent, childlike appearance. However, she was neither innocent, nor a child. But she was not a heartless, killer like her grandfather. Yet he had seen she could be capable of his degree of cruelty.

His eyes skirted over the mass of tubes taped to her arm down to her hand. His thumb rubbed over the braided silver wire ring on her left ring finger. So she had accepted Kō's proposal. Good for her. Being with Kō would keep her sane. Loving him would keep her from being more like her grandfather. She would eventually make Kō strong and fearless. They were good for each other.

Kei held her hand. It felt so small and cold in his. He squeezed her hand between his in an effort to warm her frigid fingers.

One day, she and Kō would get married, leave him, and go on their merry way to live a happy life with hopefully half a dozen little snot nosed brats of their own. For some reason, knowing this made him feel a little bit sad in addition to being relieved.

"Kō?" Callie croaked, writhing slightly as if to wake herself from a nightmare.

"No, it's me," Kei returned, taking his hands away from hers, hoping she had not noticed he had been holding it.

"Oh," she muttered, her face twisting in agony.

"Are you in pain?"

"No. I feel sick."

Kei's eyes searched the room for a suitable container for her to throw up in. He grabbed the small plastic trash can to hand it to her mere seconds before she once again tossed her metaphorical cookies. He turned his back to her, feeling a bit green around the gills himself while he ignored her retching as best as he could. It would be necessary to get used to this sooner or later because this kind of thing would be part of being a doctor.

"I'm sorry," she sniffled. "I suppose I might have gotten food poisoning."

"Probably," he returned, taking the trash can from her to sit it by the sink. "I need to talk to you about something."

"You're ready to put your plan into motion to have Satō kidnap me. Right?"

"Perceptive as always." He sat down on the edge of the bed facing her. "Do you really want to do this?"

"Of course I don't. But it needs to be done," she sighed in resignation. "How soon - "

"Miss Owen?" Mrs. Fujiwara, the head nurse, stood at the door. She clutched the clipboard she always carried to her chest. "I have the result of one of your tests that I need to discuss with you." A consummate professional, tidy in appearance, polite but neutral in manner and attitude, she wore a cleaned and pressed white uniform complete with an old fashioned nurse's cap and kept her face and voice free of personal emotions. She switched her attention to Kei.

"Alone."

"We can talk about this later," Kei murmured, sliding off the bed to leave. "I should go."

"Wait a minute," she told him. Speaking to Mrs. Fujiwara, she informed her, "You can tell me whatever it is with him in here."

"Are you sure?" The light creases at the edges of her lips and eyes, put there from years of smiling and laughing, deepened into wrinkles of worry.

"I'm sure. He's like a brother, family, to me."

Kei experienced a strange, tingling warmth in the middle of his chest. The desire to smile caused the corners of his mouth to twitch. He rubbed his chest to rid himself of the unpleasant sensation while pushing his lips downward into a deep frown. Feelings. _This is why it's easier not to feel anything for anybody. Emotional ties make you weak._ His own words came back to accuse him of hypocrisy, echoing through his brain, a mental recording in his voice. She had referred to him as family. His 'real' family held little meaning to him. So why did her saying that make him...happy?

The nurse shifted uncomfortably, casting a furtive side long look at Kei to silently convey her wish that he would leave anyway.

"It's food poisoning right? Or maybe it was the latte. I thought the cream tasted a little off," Callie rambled anxiously.

"It's not food poisoning," Mrs. Fujiwara responded, her voice rising. She cleared her throat as if preparing for a big announcement. Her face remained a blank slate when she delivered the life changing news that could not have come a worst time. "We ran a pregnancy test considering we all know you are sexually active with Nakano."

Heat rushed across Callie's face as if she had opened the door to a blast furnace. She knew they had been a little loud last night but had no idea everyone could hear.

"And?" Kei pressed, stepping forward. He had a vested interest in the conversation now. The results could change everything and blow his carefully laid plan to hell.

The nurse expelled a loud sigh. "I don't know whether to say congratulations or I'm sorry, Callie." She laid a gentle hand on top of one of Callie's hands that clutched the blanket to keep them from shaking. "You're pregnant."


	30. Chapter 30

Shock instantly numbed Callie. Anesthetized emotionally, unable to cry or to smile, she stared straight ahead at the wall without seeing it. Physical sensation had been reduced to the feeling of something crawling across her scalp and a sharp tingling in her fingers and toes.

"Are you going to throw up?" Kei asked, moving to retrieve the trash can.

"No," she mumbled, the single word barely audible. Her shock widened eyes did not blink when she turned her head to look at him. Slowly she began to focus, to actually see him. "Kei?"

"Yeah?"

"What did she say?"

Kei almost pitied her. She looked so scared and confused, pale as the white blanket across her lap.

"You're pregnant, Callie," he stated flatly. "Eight weeks."

Callie thought for a minute, sorting the timeline in her head. "I was pregnant before I left the island. Before you put your plan into motion."

"Yeah. If I had known - "

"I'm glad you didn't know," she interrupted, giving him a faltering smile with quivering lips.

"I'll go get Kō."

"Wait," she said, grabbing his wrist.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to share the good news with the father of your child?" Kei stared at her, unable to read the mix of emotions that flooded her eyes darkening them into a muddy brown color rather than their usual vibrant hazel.

"I don't want him to know. I don't want anyone to know," she rushed on when he allowed his surprise to register on his face, his red-brown eyes widening and his mouth dropping open.

"But why?" he asked, genuinely astonished. He didn't expect her to be completely thrilled with learning about her pregnancy at such an inconvenient time, but he never imagined she would not want Kō to know.

"We have to continue with the plan."

"You're pregnant, Callie. You can't. I have to come up with a different plan, that's all," he said offhandedly. Shrugging nonchalantly when she raised a questioning eyebrow, he pretended like it was no big deal while wondering what in the hell he was going to do after receiving the unexpected revelation of her pregnancy.

"We can't stop this. I have to do this. Not just my life or the baby's life but millions of lives depend on us being able to bring down Satō." She inhaled a deep breath as if to gather the scraps of her courage that had shattered somewhere along the way during her brave monologue. "I'll be okay. The baby will be fine. I've already been shot in the head by Tosaki and died. We both survived that. We're Ajins after all. I can do this." She paused, closing her eyes to push back the gathering tears. "I can do this...right?"

"You can do this," he assured her. The disconcerting warmth returned to his chest when a crystalline tear escaped the corner of her eye. Before he could stop himself, he reached to wipe it away with his thumb. "You can't die. And neither will the baby."

Her eyes met his and for a long awkward moment neither one of them knew what to say, think, or feel. "Kei - "

Before she could say anything else, he wrenched his wrist free of her bone crushing grip and turned his back to her to walk toward the door. "I'll go get Kō. I'm sure you want to see him." Without looking back at her, he added, "You might want to take time to think about things. To reconsider your choice. I'll understand if you do change your mind. I said I could come up with another plan."

"Thank you. But I won't change my mind," she replied.

"Stupidly stubborn," he muttered before walking out.

"Yeah. I am stupidly stubborn," she agreed, leaning back on her pillows.

She wanted to cry to relieve the roiling emotions building inside of her. So many strong and opposing emotions. She wanted to be rid of all of them, the good along with the bad. She wanted to be happy, but couldn't. Sadness threatened to creep up but slinked away in the face of her consuming anger. The rage gave way to a sudden influx of joy. Guilt entered the mix accusing her of being a selfish idiot who knew the risks of having unprotected sex but did it anyway. And now, two would become three.

A laugh, short and high pitched, nearly manic, burst out of her mouth. Too many emotions. She closed her eyes, pressing the heels of her hands to her eyes hoping it would stop the pressure and burn of the tears that would not come.

"Callie?" Kō called from the door after poking his head inside.

"Hey, sweetheart," she rejoined, her voice too high, the happiness forced. She sniffed and put a smile on her face despite the tears that leaked from her eyes. Of course they come now when she wanted to hide them the most.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" he asked, sitting down on the bed facing her to pull her into his arms.

"I'm okay. Just food poisoning," she lied, unable to make the tears stop.

"Why are you crying?"

"I'm just so embarrassed," she fibbed again doing so with disturbing ease and speed. "I can't believe I threw up in front of everybody and fainted to boot."

"It's okay. Don't worry about it. Nobody said anything. They were worried about you actually."

Kō held her, allowing her to cry until she she could no longer cry. He continued to hold her, not wanting to let her go. For some reason he had the feeling he should hang onto her or she would disappear from right in front of him.

Something was going on that neither she nor Kei would tell him. There was always something going on when those two talked privately. Kei remained silent, condescending and withdrawn as usual. Callie's emotional state was always the telling factor. They're little discussions usually left her in hysterical tears. He didn't bother to ask her what was happening. She wouldn't tell him anyway.

"Do you love me?" Kō whispered in her ear.

He dropped his arms from around her when her entire body stiffened. Not a good sign. He sighed when her arms tightened around him, and she pressed her face into his chest. Pulling her head back with a single hand around the back of her neck, he stared into her eyes. Those unique eyes always turned a bright green when she cried. Shiny and clear, he studied her eyes to find the truth. She didn't hide her true thoughts as well as Kei.

"Do you love me?" he repeated, holding his breath. A tender emotion entered her eyes, the high shine imparted by the remnants tears becoming a soft glow. His chest burned reminding him to breath.

"I love you, Kō. Why do you doubt me so much?"

Kō tightened his fingers around her neck. Her neck felt small and fragile in his hand as if he could snap it with a twist of a wrist. But he had seen what this woman could do. She could free herself and kill him before he took another breath. Sometimes she frightened him as much as she fascinated him. She always seemed to be holding part of herself back from him, despite how much they had shared and what they had been through together.

"I feel like there's always something you're not telling me. Why do you still not trust me with everything about you?"

"Because I know how you are," she said, running her fingers through her hair. "You worry too much. You would be preoccupied worrying about me and you'd do dumb things and make mistakes and hurt yourself."

"I do that anyway," he muttered, his cheeks turning pink. "I make lots of mistakes by doing dumb things. I hurt myself and others, but I never mean to do it."

"Oh, Kō," she giggled, attempting to offset the crushing seriousness of the conversation. "You're overzealous and get distracted easily."

"That's a nice way of saying I overreact, and I'm an idiot."

"Kō - "

"Stop, okay," he said, grabbing her hand when she tried to stroke his head again. It made him feel like she was treating him a sad little puppy. "But you...you seem to hurt people on purpose because you won't tell them everything. Like Kei."

"How did this suddenly become about you when I'm the one who's sick?" She snatched her hand away from him, pushing him back with a hand on his chest.

Maybe she should tell him about the baby. At least to make him feel badly for overreacting and having a pity party for himself. But she wanted to protect him - all of them. Divulging her pregnancy would only upset everyone and offset their plans for which the groundwork had already been laid.

"It's not about me," he shot back, obviously offended. "Why won't you let me in? I love you. I want to marry you. I want to have a family with you one day. Why do you continue to hide things from me?"

 _That day has come sooner than you think,_ Callie thought to herself, chewing on her lower lip. _He knows. He knows there's something else going on. Just tell him!_

"I-I'm not h-hiding anything," she stammered, watching her fingers poke idly at the square shaped spaces woven into the thermal blanket.

Kō hopped off the bed, walking around to the end to hold on to the thick plastic footboard. He glared at her in silence, his face turning red from the undercurrent of anger swiftly rising to the surface.

"God, Callie," he sighed in frustration. "You're lying. You're still lying. Stop lying to me!"

His raised voice startled her, making her jump. The door opened and Mrs. Fujiwara swept into the room, her brow creased in anger. Apparently his raised voice had surprised her as well by the way the nurse fixed her wide eyes on the furious young man.

"Is there a problem here, Mr. Nakano?" the head nurse demanded haughtily.

"No," he snapped, slamming his hands down on the footboard of the bed.

Callie jumped again, causing the nurse to spring into action. Mrs. Fujiwara quickly slid her body in between Kō and the bed.

"You should leave, Mr. Nakano. Miss Owen is not feeling well and she needs rest. Leave," she ordered him politely but firmly, holding out her arms. She waited for him to exit, closing the door behind him, before turning around to face Callie. The expression on her face transformed into that of a concerned mother. "You didn't tell him, did you?"

"No," she admitted, threading her forefinger through the holes she had stretched open through picking at the cotton fibers. "I don't don't want to tell anyone. Can we - " She raised her eyes to the nurse, begging her in action and words. "Please, don't tell anyone. I don't want them to know."

"This is stupid. You shouldn't - "

"I know. I shouldn't put myself and the baby at risk. I shouldn't go through with this. I've had the same thoughts myself and been told that by Kei already."

The nurse groaned irritably. "You're more stubborn than I've heard. I'll speak to the doctor. I'll make sure he keeps this between us. Only four of us will know."

"Thank you," Callie sighed in relief.

"I hope you know what you're doing," she nurse muttered. She set to work checking Callie's vitals and the solutions in the bags dripping into her veins.

 _I hope I know what I'm doing too._ For the first of many times, Callie would doubt her decision and herself in this matter of going after Satō. But he was the whole reason she had come here. She wanted to meet her grandfather. She had so many questions to ask him. And now she had a surprise for him that he would definitely not be expecting.


	31. Chapter 31

A few nights later, Callie walked along the outer perimeter of the compound around midnight. She could not sleep well anymore. She had not been able to sleep since Kō moved out of her room while she was still in the medical ward. Things between them had been strained, and they had not talked about anything yet. Actually, they had not talked at all.

The thicket of trees loomed ahead in the darkness, the tops of the pine trees reaching toward the sky like spires on old buildings. Her legs ached in anticipation of sitting down. The exposed stone wall in natural shelter offered a nice, secluded place to rest. She stepped off the dirt track worn into the grass along the fence by thousands of footsteps to get onto the cobblestone path leading into the dense shrubbery. Holding her sweater more tightly around her did not save her bottom from the damp cold of the stones when she sat down. She shivered not expecting the coldness to seep through her jeans so easily.

Callie wondered if Kō had changed his mind about her - if he wanted to withdraw his proposal. She was too scared to ask. If she told him about the baby now, it would seem like another lie; a fabrication to manipulate him into staying with her. She thrust her hands into her hair, resisting the urge to pull out the two fistfuls she clutched in frustration. Aggravation with herself made a growl rumble from her chest up her throat preventing her from hearing the approaching footsteps.

"Are you all right?" Kei asked, not expecting to see her in this place that he considered his private hideaway.

"Of course I'm not all right," she rejoined, pure acid in her voice.

"Have you talked to him?"

"No."

"Are you going to talk to him?"

"When he's ready."

"Hmmm," Kei hummed thoughtfully. It was not like her to be so timid when tackling a problem. He had never heard her use so few words when defending her relationship with Kō either. "Maybe you should tell him about the baby?"

"No," she groaned, pushing herself off the wall. "I'm leaving."

Kō appeared in front of her suddenly as if the trees had given birth to him. Callie cried out in surprise, pressing her fingertips to her lips to hold back her scream. He stepped toward her, and she took a step back to maintain the three feet of distance between them.

"Tell me what? Callie?" he pressed, reaching out to grab her arm but she turned quickly to dodge his grasping hand.

"Callie, tell him," Kei urged her.

"I can't!" she yelled, thrusting her fists down by her sides like a child having a tantrum.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Kō demanded.

"I'll tell him," Kei threatened her.

"Don't you dare!" she bellowed at him, rushing toward him.

Kei simply sidestepped her kick to avoid getting kicked in the ribs. He shoved her away gently, not wanting her to fall, by pushing her shoulder that turned toward him on the follow through. She stumbled and righted herself swiftly, whirling around to face him. She threw a punch that missed his chin when he leaned back.

"You've gotten better," she complimented him despite being angry.

"I had a good teacher," he returned. "You've gotten slow. Your moves are sloppy."

"Tell me what?! What the hell is going on here?!" Kō hollered, adding to the confusion.

"Stop and think about it, Kō. She's sleeping a lot. She's throwing up. She's an emotional mess. More so than usual. She's weak," Kei added when she threw another punch. This time he caught her hand and held her, twisting her arm behind her back but not violently enough to hurt her. He held her in a bear hug while she screamed and struggled.

"She's been sick. Of course she's doing all those things," he mumbled, confusion gathering on his face and drawing his eyebrows together. The sick hot feeling of jealousy formed in the pit of his stomach while he watched Kei holding Callie with her body pressed tightly to his an embrace. "Would you two stop that?!"

"She's pregnant, Kō!" Kei announced. When she immediately stopped moving, he released her and backed away.

"How could you?" Callie whispered, too stunned to be angry or sad.

"She's what?" Kō inquired, his voice breaking like a prepubescent boy's.

"She's going to have your baby. You're going to be a father," Kei said, deciding the time had come for him to make his escape. He clapped Kei on the back when walking past him. "Congratulations."

"Callie, why - "

Before Kō could complete his question, the roar of an engine and honk of a horn, like that of a big truck, possibly an eighteen wheeler, deafened them. A boom like an explosion sounded followed by the screech and scream of metal.

"Oh, my god. Someone's coming through front gates," Kei muttered, running in the direction of the sound.

Kō and Callie followed. The blinding white shafts of light from the search lights cut through the darkness, swinging wildly in wide arcs. The unmistakable crack of gunshots and the rat-a-tat of machine gun fire added to the mayhem of revving engines and yelling men running in all directions.

One of the beams of light fell across the panicked threesome running for the gate making them freeze like deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. Everything went eerily silent.

Callie held up her hand in an attempt to shield her eyes from the light as bright as the sun that prevented her from seeing anything in front of her. She could make out partial outlines of three men walking toward them with guns held in firing position. The one in the middle, out front, wore a small flat cap.

 _Oh, god. It's him,_ she thought.

A bizarre hissing sound tickled her ear when the projectile shot from their guns whizzed past her. Her head whipped around to Kei when she heard him grunt.

A tiny metal tube with red frills on the end stuck out of his neck. A tranquilizer dart! His eyes rolled back, and he dropped straight to the ground.

"No," she gasped, turning on the ball of her foot to go to him. Upon hearing Kō gasp, she pivoted on her foot to see him slap his hand to his chest.

The tell-tale red fringe poked through his fingers like a red flag. _Danger, danger_!, her brain screamed at her. Fear strangled her, immobilizing her and keeping her silent when Kō fell forward like a tree being cut down for lumber.

"Forgive me, sweetheart." Satō's disturbingly serene monotone grated on her ears like fingernails down a chalkboard.

"Grandfather," she whispered, watching the outline of his gun raise upward when he prepared to take aim at her. "No. Wait, I'm - Ow!"

Her hand instantly went to the area of the stinging sensation in her shoulder. She snatched out the dart even though she knew it was too late. Her vision blurred, further obscuring the figures coming toward her. _It wasn't supposed to happen this way. He wasn't supposed to come for me. This wasn't the plan._ She stumbled, but before she could fall two arms wrapped around shoulders and waist.

"You're not supposed to be here," she murmured, fighting against the darkness that wanted to overtake her.

"I know you had other plans, my dear," he said, stroking her cheek with his fingertips. "I will admit I was a bit impatient for this family reunion."

"Grandfather?" Her head fell forward, resting on his shoulder when she lost consciousness.

"Tanaka!" he called to his second hand man.

"Take her to the truck, and let's get out of here," he commanded, handing her over to the other man.

Tanaka grunted when lifting her into his arms to carry her. She was awfully heavy for her size. He shifted her roughly until he was sure he had a more secure hold on her with one arm under her knees and the other around her shoulders.

"What about the others? Tosaki and the rest? Are we leaving these two alive?" Tanaka asked, glancing at Kei and Kō who lay in pitiful heaps on the dew soaked grass.

"For now," Satō replied. "Tonight the mission was retrieving her. She belongs with me. I'm the only family she has left."

Tanaka could not help but think they were stealing the woman away from her 'real' family. Once he followed that man's every order blindly, unthinkingly. Lately however, he had begun to doubt Satō's motives, questioning his true goals. The man was attempting to create order out of chaos. It didn't make sense. Just like kidnapping his granddaughter. Did Satō really think the woman would be glad to see him after he forcefully took her from what had become her home and her family? Not a good way to begin a relationship.

The woman in arms moaned as if in pain. Surely she couldn't be waking up already. For her sake, he hoped she wasn't. His arms ached. He needed to get her to the truck before he dropped her.

"Please, don't hurt me," she mumbled.

"I won't," he promised her. "Go to sleep or I'll have to hit you with another tranquilizer dart."

"No, please, you don't understand." Her words were slurred and barely understandable.

"Okuyama! Open the door!" Tanaka yelled when he got near the truck. When the back door swung open, nearly hitting him, he yelled again. "Be careful!"

"Sorry, man. Didn't think you were that close. Need help?" he asked when he noticed the man struggling to get up on the running board to place the woman on the seat of the tall truck. He leaned across the seat and hooked his hands under her shoulders to pull her upwards into the back seat next to him.

Tanaka jumped into the driver's seat just as Satō got into the passenger's seat.

"Mission accomplished," Satō announced triumphantly.

"We're not out of here yet," Tanaka reminded him, stomping on the gas pedal.

The truck lurched forward, pinning all of them to their seats. Gunfire erupted from behind them, shattering the back window and blowing off the side mirrors.

"Shit," Tanaka snarled, pressing the gas pedal to the floor to send them hurtling through the broken gate.

"Game on!" Satō laughed. "I invaded the enemy camp and stole their princess. Now all I have to do is wait for the heroes to arrive to save her."

"What then?" Okuyama asked.

"We kill them of course," Satō answered pulling out his Marine Ka-Bar designed specifically for making a clean, quick kill. "I'll cut off their heads. Game over. I win."

Satō made it sound so easy, so impersonal despite the fact he planned to murder fellow Ajins. Tanaka wanted to ask what all of this meant for the granddaughter, what fate awaited her. Glancing at the knife the man turned to make the moonlight glint off of the blade, he did not want to know what might lie in her future.


	32. Chapter 32

So I know it's been a while since I updated and this chapter is a little short, but I'm trying. I didn't realize I had come so far with this fic, and I would like to finish it. I hope you like the chapter, and I'll do my best to continue until I finish.

* * *

"Goddammit!" Kō yelled, punching the wall. A hollow metallic clang rang out, echoing down the hall.

"Calm down, idiot," Kei muttered, poking at the screen of the tablet in his hand. "You don't need to break your hand. We can't afford another setback."

"Setback? Callie getting kidnapped is more than a minor hitch in your plans!" he bellowed, glaring angrily at the quiet man who appeared to be doing his best to ignore him. "Shouldn't you be upset? Or do really just not fucking care about her at all? What about the baby? Oh, my god, my baby."

"I am upset, Kō. This is me upset," he mumbled in an emotionless monotone. The only distress that showed on Kei's otherwise passive face was his eyebrows being drawn together and his wrinkled forehead. That could also be his concentration face.

After last night's disaster, Tosaki had called a meeting to regroup and make a new plan. Apparently Kei was already on top of making a new plan.

Kō plopped down heavily into a cafeteria chair while they waited for everyone to arrive. He released a noisy sigh of exasperation, scrubbing his hands over his face as if to slough off the worry. He hated sitting here doing nothing while Satō did god only knew what to his beautiful fiance and his unborn child.

The baby. Although he loved Callie dearly and was worried sick, he was still angry with her because she had not told him about something so incredibly important. He would have liked to have celebrated the good news with her. He could not bear to think he might never be able to have that celebration.

"Kō , I promise you," Kei began, glancing up to meet the gaze of his friend. "If Satō harms a single hair on her head, I will make him pay. I will make him regret it for hours, days, weeks. Maybe even months. I will torture him until he wishes he could die. Then, I'll grant his wish."

Kō audibly gulped, stunned into silence. The determined glint in Kei's eyes told him the man meant every word he said. From first hand experience he knew Kei was well versed in violence and how to cause pain. If anyone could find a way to kill an Ajin, it would be Kei. For a split second he almost pitied Satō. Almost but not quite. That man deserved all the hell that was coming to him and so much more.

~\\..'../~

"Oh, god," Callie groaned slowly regaining consciousness.

Her body felt heavy and unresponsive. A herd of elephants trampled relentlessly on her brain. Her eyes would not comply with her desire for them to open. Although lying down, she felt like she was moving, the room spinning around her while her body vibrated. A sick, hot sensation oozed through her gut upwards until she felt acid burning her throat.

"Oh, god," she mumbled, more of a plea and a prayer this time.

Rolling onto her side, Callie opened her mouth to allow the searing acidic vomit to flow out. Hearing the repugnant sound of the liquid splashing on the floor made her even more nauseated creating a self-defeating cycle. At last she stopped throwing up and flopped over onto her back.

"Where am I?" she asked aloud not expecting an answer from anyone.

Finally, her eyes opened. The light was dim, but she could see the bars above her. Turning her head to the right, she could see more bars. To the left, more bars. She was in a cage this time. The cage appeared to be set in the middle of a box with metal walls like an old walk in restaurant type freezer that no longer worked. A prison within a prison. Waking up in a jail cell was getting really, really old.

"Great, just great," she muttered.

Forcing herself to sit up, she glanced around. The door to the cage was open as was the big metal door to the non-working freezer that comprised the outer wall of her jail cell.

"Huh," she grunted, the short sound bouncing back to her from the metal walls. "That's weird."

Callie debated if she should get up and walk out. Who leaves the prison doors open unless they want the person to escape to walk into some nefarious trap? Perhaps a worse fate awaited her if she stayed put rather than venturing out of the makeshift prison.

The putrid stench of her vomit reached her nose making her gag. Nope! Whatever was out there could not be more repulsive than that.

Callie slid to the end of the metal bench she had been lying on to avoid stepping in the gross mess she had made. Her stomach lurched and rolled, threatening another revolt. Pressing the back of her hand to her mouth, she forced herself to stand and walk out of the cage, then pass through the metal doorway.

A large, darkened warehouse stretched in all directions around her. Men dressed in gray jumpsuits stood at metal tables assembling guns and other weapons that appeared to pipe bombs. Gray metal lampshades covered a single big bulb that hung down over the tables shedding enough light to enable the men to see what they were doing but nothing more. None of them appeared to take notice of her. Probably because the room was too dark for them to see her.

Callie heard the scraping of feet on the shockingly clean cement floor. The footsteps sounded like they were coming toward her. Reluctantly, she turned her head to the left toward the sound of the light, measured footfalls.

There he stood. Black scally cap, squinty eyes. Satō. Her grandfather.

"Oh, hello, my dear, you're awake," Satō greeted her. He moved forward, arms open wide, as if to embrace her.

Nausea mounted until her already empty stomach seized and forced up more acid. Dropping to her knees in front of him, the searing stomach acid covered his black wingtips.

"Hmmm," he mumbled, staring down at her. "This is problematic."

Callie immediately wanted to apologize but then remembered whose shoes she had thrown up on. Biting her lower lower, she refused to apologize to this man.

"Do you need medicine?" he inquired, reaching down to assist her to her feet.

"I needed you to NOT shoot me with a tranquilizer dart," she muttered, taking the handkerchief he offered her to wipe her mouth. "I'm pregnant."

Callie doubted the tranquilizer had anything to do with her nausea. She had already been suffering from morning sickness before getting shot with the drug.

"Please tell me the baby doesn't belong to Nagai," he nearly begged.

His desperation for the baby to not be Kei's tempted her to lie to him to piss him off. Setting off a rage response in a psychotic narcissist was probably not a good idea in her present predicament.

"Nakano," she responded, closing her eyes to ride the wave of nausea washing over her.

"Not much better but at least the child isn't the spawn of Kei Nagai. My darling granddaughter, I seriously question your taste in men. I can't say I care for the company you've chosen to keep," he gently chastised her like a caring grandparent. He was anything but a loving relative.

Callie glowered at him, infuriated by his presumptuousness. Pulling together a modicum of pride, she raised her chin sticking her nose in the air as if she were an affluent, high society lady instead of a humiliated captive who was also single, sick, and pregnant.

"Grandfather," she started rather stiffly and formally,"I honestly could not care less about your opinion. You have no right to offer any input on my life or my decisions. I would ask that you kindly take your opinion and shove it up your ass."

Tension crackled through the dense air between them like electricity. Silence spread across the entire weapons factory as the men listened and waited to see what happened next.

Satō threw back his head and laughed, long and loud. His crazy man's laugh reverberated in the vacuous space of the massive warehouse. Eventually, the eerie, spine tingling laughter died away.

"Ah, spirited, proud, and mouthy," he murmured, listing off a few of her finest attributes. "Just like your grandmother."

A man appeared like a ghost from the darkness behind her grandfather. He had longish black hair plastered to his skull and flipping up at the nape of his neck. His face was so white she wondered if his skin had never seen the light of day. He had a sharp, beak like nose and beady black eyes. He reminded her of a stereotypical movie vampire. A modern day vampire dressed in jeans, boots, black t-shirt, and a red and white leather jacket. Biker Dracula.

Callie giggled. She couldn't help herself. The man glared at her with a questioning and disapproving expression as if he believed her to be as off her rocker as her grandfather.

"Tanaka, take our little lady here to get something to drink and some food to eat. You might want to send someone to the pharmacy for an anti-nausea medicine. Oh, get someone to clean up that mess," he commanded the man in clear, curt orders like the military man he was once in his life. By his tone, she could he tell her grandfather expected, and would receive, complete, unquestioning obedience.

Callie shivered. She would die if he chose to issue a simple two word order - kill her.

"Yes, sir," the man called Tanaka responded dutifully.

There was a murderous glint the man's eye - and it was _not_ directed at her. Interesting.

"I need to check on the men assembling those new rifles we received," Satō announced, striding away.

Callie doubted Satō would kill her. At the moment, she proved to be too good of a bargaining piece to use against Tosaki and Nagai especially since she was pregnant. Satō would bank on them doing anything to get her and the baby back safely.

Hopefully, the unpleasant beginning of their family reunion would not set the tone for the relationship because she needed him to care, to let down his guard, to provide them with a vulnerability to use against him. Damn her temper.

"Follow me," Tanaka ordered her gruffly, his low voice sounding as sinister as he looked.

Callie submissively followed him only because she needed water to wash away the horrible taste in her mouth and to quench the fire in her throat. Her tummy grumbled reminding her she needed nourishment for the baby as well.

"How long have you worked for my grandfather?" she inquired, attempting to drum up a conversation with the reticent man walking stiffly in front of her.

"Long enough," he answered vaguely, taking her into a small, white tiled room.

He flipped on the light, illuminating the kitchen with fluorescent brilliance. The bright light glinted off the chrome appliances and shiny tiles almost blinding her.

"Sit down," he said as if ordering her to do so.

Callie was in no mood to argue. She took a seat on one of the backless metal stools positioned next to the long metal table used for preparing the food. She picked up the glass of ice water he set in front of her, quickly drinking the cold, hydrating fluid. The burning in her throat ceased. She no longer felt like she had been eating hot desert sand. She sighed in relief.

"Do you want more water?" he asked, setting a loaf of bread along with a tray of meat and cheese in front of her. He didn't seem happy about babysitting her, but he didn't act absolutely aggravated by his assignment either.

"Yes, please," she said, holding the glass out to him.

Tanaka took the glass and handed her a plate and fork.

"Thank you, Tanaka," she told him, sincerely grateful, when he set the refilled glass down in front of her. "Do you have any mustard? Lettuce? Tomato?"

"Well, damn, Princess," he muttered, his mouth quirking upward on one side into a lopsided grin. "Do you think this is a fucking restaurant?'

"Nope," she mumbled, feeling pretty confident in her position as his leader's granddaughter. "It was a simple request. You don't have to be an asshole about it."

Tanaka chuckled. A complete and genuine smile did not lessen the severity of his angular face at all.

"I like you," he said for no apparent reason when he turned back to the refrigerator to retrieve her requested items.

"Why is that?" she questioned him, reaching into the bag for two slices of bread to begin assembling her sandwich.

"You're cute and feisty, foul mouthed to boot. You're the only one who has ever talked back to the old man and not gotten shot or stuffed in a barrel. You got balls, little lady. Big brass ones," he mused.

"Why do all of you follow him? Allow yourselves to be bossed around?" Callie inquired, spreading a thick layer of mustard on both pieces of bread. She licked the remainder from the knife. The vinegar seemed to quell her nausea.

"We all owe him something. He saved each one of us from our own private hell. He gave us a purpose to exist, a reason to live," he stated, watching her as she layered slices of ham and turkey between slices of cheddar and swiss cheese. "You eat a lot for a little woman."

"I'm eating for two," she retorted, offended by his criticism of her eating habits.

"So I heard. But not two adults," he reminded her.

"Shut up," she snapped, arranging crispy green lettuce leaves and slices of juicy ripe tomato on top. The sandwich was so thick she could barely get her hands around it.

"How are you going to eat that?"

"Carefully." Pressing her hand down on the whole thing, she smashed the sandwich down to a more manageable size.

Conversation ceased when she took the first bite of her sandwich. Tanaka actually seemed nice, definitely less tense, talking to her so casually. She wondered if he could be a possible ally in hostile territory. She had not missed seeing the resentment in his eyes when her grandfather had coarsely doled out orders to him.

"You're the Ajin in that video, the one being tortured? Shot in the head over and over again?" she asked, trying to treat the sensitive subject with the care it deserved to spare his feelings.

"Yep, that's me," he sighed, not happy to be reminded of it.

"You know," she stated thoughtfully, "I don't think I would be overstating this when I say that video is _the_ video that started this whole..." She paused, searching her memory banks for the proper term. "Rebellion? Yes! The Ajin Rebellion, I'd call it. You're basically the poster boy."

"Lucky me," he muttered, filling a glass with water for himself. "I'm nothing more than a lackey, a lowly minion to be ordered around, to do your grandfather's dirty work."

"Isn't all of his work dirty work?" She took a bite of her sandwich. "By the way, please don't refer to him as my grandfather. Today is the first time I've ever spoken to him in my life. I've never even seen him in person until now. I can't help who I'm related to. I damn sure didn't choose him. He's Satō, the psycho in a hat who is going to cause a lot of innocent people to die in pursuit of nothing more than playing a silly game."

"You're a very smart girl. Cheers," Tanaka said, raising his glass to her.

Absentmindedly, Callie massaged her belly thinking of the child inside of her. She did not want her baby to die.


	33. Chapter 33

Callie sat at the metal table in the kitchen eating the breakfast Tanaka had kindly prepared for her. The man is a surprisingly good cook. The scrambled eggs are soft and fluffy, the bacon crisp, and the toast perfectly buttered. Her appetite instantly fled when Satō walked into the kitchen to take a seat across from her.

"How is my lovely granddaughter this morning?" he inquired, his voice grating across her nerves.

Putting down her fork, she forced herself to swallow the mouthful of food she had been chewing. Her stomach tightened, threatening to send the food back up her esophagus. This little bout of sickness had nothing to do with the baby. She patted her belly as if to calm herself and the baby.

"I'm sure there are other questions on your mind that you would rather ask me," she stated bluntly, sipping her coffee.

"Why are you here?" he asked, his tone less friendly.

"Because you kidnapped me," she answered succinctly.

"Well, I see being kidnapped has not dampened your spirit...or tamed your attitude," he murmured, not bothered in the least by her sarcasm.

"I came to Japan to look for you. I found pictures of you and love letters you had written to my grandmother," she explained.

"How is your grandmother?"

"My grandmother, _your wife,"_ she bitterly reminded him of their relationship before dropping what she hoped would be a devastating emotional bomb, "is dead."

"What?" he inquired in a gasp. His eyelids separated, exposing his irises. They were the same maroon brown color as Kei's.

"Your wife, the mother of your son, my grandmother, is dead," she repeated, spitting the words out through her gritted teeth. Attempting to push the emotional knife deep into his cold heart, she wanted him to feel pain. He deserved to feel pain.

Satō stood up, slowly walking away from her. Her eyes followed his jerky, stilted movements as he opened the refrigerator. He appeared to be having trouble controlling his body while keeping his emotions tightly under wraps. He lifted a bottle of water to his lips, drinking the entire contents in a few loud gulps.

"What did you hope to gain by finding me?" he asked. His voice had returned to its usual monotone devoid of emotion and full of malice.

"Understanding," she answered curtly. "I wanted to know why you abandoned the woman who loved you with every fiber of her being. How could you so coldly turn your back on your small son? I'm your granddaughter. You left behind a family and a legacy of pain that will never ever go away."

Hot tears of anger slid down her cheeks unchecked. She was too focused on the target of her ire to care about the tears dripping from her chin. Her eyes met his when he pivoted around to face her. Visibly startled by the eye contact, she jumped when she looked directly into his irises no longer shielded by his nearly closed eyelids

"Did it ever occur to you that I would kill you?" he questioned her pointedly.

"Of course. If you really want to kill me, go ahead," she taunted him, raising her chin in a show of defiance. In a further prideful display of rebellion, she added, "Do me the favor of putting me out of my misery. You can make the suffering stop here."

Naturally she had considered the possibility he would kill her without hesitation. However, somewhere along the way, she had stupidly assumed he possessed a shred of humanity. She had deluded herself into thinking she could appeal to his heart, use their familial blood ties, to manipulate him. This man had no heart whatsoever. No wonder it had been so easy for him to walk away from his family. The thought of how much her grandmother loved this horrible man to her dying breath made her absolutely sick.

Her arms hugged her belly protectively. She had been incredibly selfish as well, forgetting she had another life to consider. Circumstances had changed yet her single-mindedness to find this man, to make him feel some pain, had pushed her to the brink of near madness. She had miscalculated his penchant for cruelty and severe emotional detachment. Once again, like the fateful night at the hospital which put her on her present road to disaster, she had underestimated someone who had the power to kill her.

Her body quaked inside, but she hoped her fear did not show on the outside. This man hated weakness and loved to exploit it. Although she felt like she was shaking apart from the inside out, she could not allow him to see her fear. There was no need to plead for her life or the baby's because her cries would fall on deaf, uncaring ears.

Pretending to be unconcerned, Callie reached for her coffee cup to take a drink to wet her parched throat. Amazingly, her fingers did not shake.

"Hmph," Satō snorted derisively, his thin lips quirking up on one side into a smug little grin. "I can't kill you now. You're too valuable of a bargaining chip. I'm sure your pathetic little boyfriend will do anything to get you back which gives me even more leverage against Kei Nagai. Not to mention, I could auction you off to the highest bidder. How valuable you would be as a science experiment. I'm sure you'd catch a pretty penny as doctors and labs and possibly even national entities such as the military forces bid on you."

"Wow," she sighed, wiping away her tears with her napkin. "You really are a heinous individual. You have absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever."

"Don't hate the player. Hate the game," he scoffed.

Callie had heard those statements used in romantic references before but never in a manner like this. The man truly is insane. Hopelessly delusional and narcissistic, driven by his own sense of self-importance, he would do anything to win. He was able to achieve his goals without being hindered by emotional roadblocks such as empathy and remorse.

"But I thought you intended to shut down all of those labs to prevent any more torture of our kind. Why would you sell me off to the very people you hate, the ones you want to destroy, for what they've done to Ajins? You do want kill all the humans before they can perform anymore experiments on us, right?" she questioned him to clarify his goals in her own muddled mind.

"Unfortunately, achieving my goals requires quite a bit of money. Sometimes sacrifices must be made. I've made sacrifices before," he stated frostily, daring to smile.

 _Yes, obviously,_ she thought to herself. His favorite sacrificial lambs were his family members. He was probably the one who had sold out her father, his own son, and had her mother murdered. Nausea cloaked her like a hot, suffocating blanket. Instead of him being the one to receive the emotional knife to the heart, Callie became the victim. Tears of sadness stung her eyes, building up in the corners. She blinked rapidly to hold them back.

 _Show no weakness. Not to this bastard,_ she coached herself silently.

"Are you scared, little girl?"

"Only because have I your blood flowing through my veins. Unfortunately, so will my child. Some forms of insanity are hereditary after all. I pray that your brand of evil will be diluted enough that it won't matter." Her eyes met his again. "The world does not need another devil like you."

Life really is nothing more than a game to him. He did not see people, only players. Some people are allies playing in co-op mode, assisting him with achieving his goals. Those against him are simply non-playable characters sent to be impediments, to be destroyed and disposed of. People like Kei and Tosaki are the lesser bosses of a level meant to stop him before he can get to the big bosses such as the corporations performing experiments on Ajins. Satō planned to take down the biggest and baddest level bosses in existence, entire governments, beginning with Japan's. He wanted to make this world his, a world for Ajins - but only those he allowed to stay in it.

"You're like a secret non playable character I've unlocked," he said, his eyelids gradually coming together to hide his eyes. "I don't yet know your strength level or your skill set, but I believe you will be incredibly useful to me."

 _Kei, I hope you're planning something really great and really big to take him out._

"You still believe he's going to save you, don't you? I never thought of Nagai as a knight in shining armor," he laughed lightly.

Startled again, Callie visibly winced this time, astonished by the statement because it seemed he had read her thoughts.

Satō began to laugh. A low, menacing chuckle which she found scarier than the loud, braying maniacal laughter typically reserved for diabolical villains. He planned to complete the game no matter who he had to crush, maim, or kill to achieve that victory. He played to win no matter what the cost to him or anyone else. Game over for everyone - including her.


	34. Chapter 34

"Here," Satō said, extending the small silver .22 caliber handgun to her with the muzzle pointed down.

"I don't know how to use a gun," Callie muttered, turning her nose up as if offended by the device.

"Come on," he enticed her, waving the gun toward her. "At least try."

"No," she flatly refused, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't use weapons meant for killing."

"Oh, I see," he murmured, inhaling noisily through his nose.

He flipped the gun up, hooking his forefinger around the small trigger. Leveling the nose of the weapon at her head, he waited for a reaction. When none came, not even a glint of fear in her eyes, he lowered the aim of the gun to her belly.

No thought came with the instinct to protect her unborn child. Lunging toward him, she seized his wrist to push the gun away while digging her fingers into the pressure point between the wrist bones to make him release the weapon. Pivoting on her right foot, she roundhouse kicked him behind the knees to bring him down to the floor, landing heavily on his kneecaps with a painful crash.

When his upper body slumped forward, she punched her fist straight up into his nose allowing the momentum to carry her elbow through for a second punishing hit, smashing the cartilage to pieces with a resounding crack. Blood spurted from his nostrils spraying the floor and the front of the white t-shirt Tanaka had given her to wear.

Satō bent over on all fours allowing the blood to spill from his nose forming a pool on the floor between his hands. Snatching a military issued Glock from the holster at his waist, he pressed the muzzle to his temple.

"No, wait!" she screamed, covering her face when he pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Warm blood splashed over her bare arms and jean clad legs. Gray bits of brain matter and white chunks of his skull sprinkled the floor amidst his blood.

Callie wanted to throw up but choked back the bile which only made her sicker. Grabbing her stomach, she almost bent in half as her stomach pushed up the delicious dinner of steak and potatoes Tanaka had made for her. The food was not so tasty the second time around.

Pressing the back of her shaking hand to her mouth, she watched as the black flakes filled the air around her grandfather's body like a cloud of dust while he gradually came back to life. She took a step back to distance herself from him when he groaned, pressing his hands to the floor to push himself up.

Satō's hand slipped in the slick blood sending him back down to the cement face first. She resisted the urge to laugh. There was absolutely nothing funny about this situation but seeing him land flat on his face in his own blood was somehow gratifying under the circumstances. On his second attempt to rise, he was more careful about the placement of his hands before pushing himself up onto all fours.

"Well, well, isn't this a surprise?" he chuckled with sinister glee.

Callie thought nothing could be more horrifying than that inappropriate giggle until he looked at her with his blood covered face, his eyes open, the irises glowing deep red like the dying embers of a fire. She gulped, her throat burning from the stomach acid. Retreating a couple of steps, her body coiled in preparation for his retaliation.

"You don't use weapons because you are a weapon," he proclaimed, a hint of pride in his jubilant tone.

Oblivious to the blood forming a macabre liquid mask over his face, he propped his chin on his loose fist as if to contemplate his good fortune of discovering her fighting skills. If only he knew...but thankfully he did not. At least she had not used her IBMs making him aware of them.

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid!,_ she chided herself. _Now he can use you to his advantage. He's already plotting something. Dammit!_

Callie inhaled deeply drawing fresh air into her lungs. She did not realize she had been holding her breath.

Walking past her without glimpsing at her, he murmured to himself, "Yes, this is surprising indeed. The game just got a little more interesting."

* * *

~\\..'../~

* * *

"Oh, my god," Kei muttered, staring at the screen of his tablet.

"What? What's wrong? What did you find?" Kō gushed, bumping into him when he came to peer over his shoulder.

Kei grunted, elbowing him to make him back away. Kō was standing too damn close. He shuddered when he could still feel the man's hot breath on the back of his neck.

"I'm trying to read. Back off," he growled.

"Dammit, tell me, Kei!" Kō demanded in his typical annoyingly anxious manner.

"What did you find?" Tosaki chimed in next.

"I was able to trace one of the IP addresses of the Ajin website back to a specific computer. I found an email account that has already been disabled and deleted. However, I was able to follow some of the emails sent from that account to the recipients," he explained in the simplest terms possible. Mostly so Kō would understand.

"What did you find?" Tosaki pressed. Impatient as always, yet he managed to be less irritating than Kō about it.

"Callie was put up for sale," Kei reluctantly informed them, avoiding eye contact with her histrionic boyfriend.

"What the hell?!" Kō yelled. "That bastard sold his own granddaughter to the highest bidder! What the fuck for?"

"Who was the buyer?" Tosaki inquired in his calculated, eerily calm voice.

"Musashi Industries. The exchange is taking place tonight."

"We have to do something! We have to get her back! We can't let that asshole Satō do this!" Kō bellowed, his eyes filling with tears.

"I won't let him do this!" Kei shouted in his overwrought friend's face. "Now shut up and let me think!"

The frigid hand of apprehension seized his gut, threatening to make him vomit. He would not allow this happen. No better opportunity would present itself to retrieve Callie and take Satō out all at once. They could kill the proverbial two birds with one stone. The best part would be they would have the element of surprise on their side.

Kei had promised her he would protect her and the baby, and he would do whatever it takes to keep that promise.

* * *

~\\..'../~

Callie glanced at each one of the three men surrounding her as they walked into the front doors of the Musashi Industries building. Tanaka stood in front of her, Kimura and Takahashi on each side of her. All three of them were dressed in business suits pretending to be businessmen - or rather big time gangsters delving in Ajin trafficking. They were taking her to give her over to her new owner. Or that's what they were pretending to do. The whole damn thing from their appearance to their intentions was a clever facade.

Callie swallowed the lump in her throat. Each one of them were armed with several weapons hidden under their fancy suits. She could not believe the idiots of Musashi Industries were allowing them in without even a second thought. She did not understand how it did not occur to them these Ajin traffickers had absolutely no ulterior motives. How can corrupt businessmen be so stupid and trusting? Perhaps they were blinded and dumbed down by their own greed.

Satō and the rest of his small army waited down the block ready to rush in with an arsenal, all hidden in the back of three box trucks. They even included a bomb that would emit an electromagnetic pulse which would disable all electronic devices and destroy any methods of communication with each other and the outside world. No help would be coming to save these rich, unscrupulous bastards when Satō unleashed hell on them.

Satō had the perfect plan to get away with it all. He had laid out their directives like a list of goals to complete a video game mission. Get the money transferred to the offshore account. Murder every member of the board of Musashi Industries. Steal the weapons developed and made possible through Ajin testing. Make an example of the company President Mitsuyoshi Hashiguchi for the world to see. Lastly, retain the girl for later use on other other missions. He would be the ultimate victor of this level.

The elevator doors opened and a man in a navy blue suit met them to lead them to a meeting room. Several men in expensive suits and a few in white lab coats sat in the chairs around the enormous oval table. Mitsuyoshi Hashiguchi sat at the head of the table facing them.

One, two, three...twelve men in all, including the company President. Damn. There were going to be so many dead bodies. But at least these men could not be considered innocent bystanders.

"I see you brought the merchandise," Mitsuyoshi Hashiguchi announced.

"Is she to your liking?" Tanaka inquired, standing close to her side.

"Doctor, why don't you take a closer look at her?" Hashiguchi suggested.

One of the men in lab coats stood up, approaching her.

"She's quite a specimen," the bespectacled 'doctor' murmured, licking his lips. His eyes ogled her ravenously from head to toe and back up.

Callie wore a plain pink sundress with a round neck that covered her chest well above her cleavage. The skirt hung loosely down to below her knees. There was nothing sexy about her clothing, yet the man acted like a raging pervert. She winced when he reached for her.

She grabbed his outstretched fingers wondering if the examination would be for sexual reasons or Ajin reasons. She had no desire to find out either way. Bending his fingers toward the back of his hand, she brought the man to his knees howling like a wounded animal. Apparently the doctor had delicate hands and no pain tolerance. How ironic for one who tortured Ajins for a living.

"No touching until you've paid," Tanaka said, pulling the whimpering doctor away by the collar

"How do we know she's really pregnant? Or an Ajin for that matter?" another scientist asked without making a move from his seat.

"I guess you'll just have to take our word for it," Tanaka insisted, glancing back at his cohorts.

Their hands had disappeared behind their backs, under their jackets, grasping their most easily accessible weapons, ready to draw them when necessary.

"Fine. Let's get down to business, shall we?" remarked the President of the company, confident in his business savvy but pathetically ignorant of knowing who he was dealing with. "I'll make the transfer. Then you gentleman can leave and my team of doctors can begin their work."

Mitsuyoshi Hashiguchi pressed a button on the open lap top in front of him. Callie could feel Tanaka's body coil in anticipation of the next step as he received confirmation through the earpiece that the money had been deposited into the account. Time to eliminate the nefarious board members and mad scientists.

An explosion sounded heralding the arrival of their boss, Satō. Phase two of ending Musashi Industries had officially begun with a literal bang. Another explosion rocked the building and the lights went out.

"What's happening?!" Hashigushi exclaimed amid murmurs around the table in the darkened room.

"Get down," Tanaka ordered Callie in a whisper. "Get out of here."

Callie dropped to the floor on all fours. Several bursts of gunshots erupted as Tanaka and the other two henchmen shot every man in the room except for Hashigushi. They needed him to lead them to the weapons. As she crawled toward the door, she could hear the tapping sound of rapidly firing automatic weapons somewhere close by in the building.

While reaching for the door handle, the double doors blew inward, flying off their hinges, pushing her back against the wall. Her hand hung limply at an unnatural angle from her wrist. All of her fingers were crooked and bruised. A scream of pain scorched her throat. She gently cradled her badly injured hand to her chest, leaning her head against the wood paneled wall behind her while she fought to stay conscious. The force of the door imploding had broken all of her fingers and obliterated her wrist bones.

"Move! Move! Move!" a man bellowed, his voice slightly muffled under his mask.

Men in camouflage uniforms, tactical helmets, and face masks entered the room with machine guns held high. The anti-Ajin forces! If they were here, maybe Kei and Kō were in the building! Flashes of light from the muzzles of their weapons illuminated the room and the ensuing chaos as they tried to shoot Tanaka and the other intruders who instantly retaliated.

Callie crawled on her belly, slithering through the gaping hole where the doors had once been. Once in the hallway, she stood up to run.

"Stop where you are!" a man in tactical gear and a face mask ordered her.

Callie froze in her tracks, hearing the metallic click of a bullet engaging in the chamber of a gun, perhaps a rifle. Going down with a single lethal shot was no more inviting than dying in a spray of bullets from a machine gun. She had no idea if this man was an ally or enemy so she closed her eyes tightly as she awaited her fate. There was a another click, then the pop like a firecracker. She jumped in expectation of the burning pain of a bullet entering her body, but it never happened.

"Callie?"

"Kei?" Her eyes flew open to see Kei standing there, the gun pointed down at the man lying on the floor in front of him.

Relief flooded her body, weakening her knees. In the following surge of adrenaline, she rushed forward, flinging her arms around Kei's neck and forgetting about her mangled hand.

"I'm so glad you're here," she sniffled, tears overflowing her lower eyelids.

His arms tightened around her waist briefly before he pushed her back. His eyes quickly skirted over her body, assessing her for injuries. Cautiously grasping her forearm, he straightened out her arm to get a better look at her broken fingers and wrist.

"We have to get you out of here," he announced, taking her other hand in his.

"Not so fast, Nagai," Satō said, raising his assault rifle to aim at Kei's head.

Kei pushed Callie behind him to shield her from Satō.

"You're not taking her again," Kei announced.

"I plan on leaving here with everyone I came with - including her," her grandfather countered, stepping forward.

Suddenly, there was a hiss and whooshing sound. A small red tipped metal syringe stabbed into Satō's neck like a dart into a bull's eye.

"Dammit," he groaned, dropping to his knees. "How - "

Above them, Kei's black ghost hung upside from an exposed metal beam holding a tranquilizer pistol in its hand.

"Practice, practice, practice," the black ghost chanted.

"Sneaky little bastard," Satō mumbled, falling forward.

"Oh, my god, Kei," Callie gushed, turning him to face her. She hugged him fiercely, pushing the air out of his lungs until he grunted. "You learned how to control it."

"Yeah, kind of," he hissed, barely able to breath.

The muted snap of a pistol shot pierced the air. Callie saw her grandfather's IBM standing above him with a gun equipped with a silencer. The black ghost had shot the old man in the head to reset him, bringing him completely back to his senses. No wonder Satō was crazy. He had taken far too bullets to the brain.

The man jumped to his feet, respawned and ready to go. Lifting the rifle, he aimed and pulled the trigger. The bullet would hit Kei in the lower back, shattering his spine and cutting his spinal cord.

"Look out!" Callie screamed, pushing Kei to the side out of the line of fire.

Once again, her instinct to protect overshadowed her rational thinking. Kei would have willingly protected her, shielded her unborn baby, by taking the bullet for her. She could have shot him and killed him, making him reawaken good as new.

Instead, the bullet entered her abdomen, creating a big gaping hole between her breasts and belly button. The impact drove her backward several feet before her body crumpled to the floor. In shock, she felt no pain - physical or emotional . She could not comprehend the full scope of the tragedy that had come upon her.

"No," Kei gasped, staring at her with terror widened eyes.

Callie was conscious but unaware. Unfortunately, the shot had not been immediately lethal; only severely damaging leading to a slow, torturous death. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, creating a fearsome red trail down her cheek and coloring her brown hair crimson.

"NO!" Kei screamed, shuffling across the floor on all fours to her.

"K-Kei," she stammered, her teeth clacking together. Her entire body convulsed, sliding into shock due to trauma and blood loss. "Where's Kō?"

"I-I d-don't kn-know," he stuttered, taking her uninjured hand in his. Her fingers were already icy cold. "He'll be here soon. Hang on."

"Kill me," she requested through chattering teeth.

"What?"

"Kill me!" she yelled with astonishing strength and volume.

"No. I can't. I can't," he repeated, tears gliding from the corners of his eyes down his pale cheeks speckled with her blood.

"Oh, dear God, Kei, the one time in your life you decide to have feelings shouldn't be now," she laughed. The dreadful sound devolved into a gargle as her throat filled with blood. "If you care about me at all, shoot me."

"Oh, for God's sake boy," Satō muttered, delivering a single shot to the middle of her forehead with the pistol in his hand.

"Noooo!" he wailed when a vermilion halo formed around her head from the blood flowing out of the hole in the back of her skull.

Satō holstered his gun, snatching the KA-BAR knife from his utility belt. With the other hand, he curled his fingers into the short hair on top of Kei's head, barely able to get a grip but finding enough of a hold to enable him to jerk the young man up to stand on his feet. Getting behind him, he pressed the blade of the knife to Kei's neck.

"Now it's your turn to die, Nagai. I'm going to cut off your head," he said, the blade biting into Kei's flesh and drawing blood.

"No!" Hirasawa yelled, shooting Satō in the back of the head.

The man dropped straight down to the floor before falling onto his back. Satō's anvil headed IBM struck Hirasawa, launching him through the air to smash against one of the massive decorative columns.

"Hirasawa!" Kei screeched.

The black ghost jumped at the disabled man, landing on the floor in front of his broken body. Grabbing the man by the neck, he slammed him into the four foot wide side of the column.

"No, don't!" Kei bellowed.

"Goddammit, kid," Satō growled, standing to his feet. "You are a real pain in my ass."

"Please don't hurt him!" he begged.

"When in the hell did you become such a soft touch? I never expected someone like you to develop feelings. Your girlfriend was right. Now was the worst time possible for you to grow emotions," the slit eyed man taunted him.

Satō massaged the back of his neck as if to work out a crick. Apparently getting shot the head so many times was beginning to stress him out. His seemingly nonexistent eyes briefly studied the man being held captive by his IBM and gradually being choking to death. His face remained passive, completely empty of emotion when he issued the order to kill Hirasawa.

"NOOOOO!" Kei shrieked.

His stomach clenched and he fought the urge to puke when he heard the sound of crunching bone as the black ghost broke Hirasawa's neck.

"Dammit! Why is this happening?!" he asked himself out loud.

Where the hell was everyone else? His eyes drifted over to the still dead Callie. Why wasn't she waking up?

"Mr. Satō," Tanaka said, pulling Hishaguchi behind him. The frightened and whimpering man's wrists were taped together and his mouth covered by the same silver duct tape.

Tanaka's eyes took in the nightmarish scene covered in blood laid out before him. The girl looked dead and was not reviving. What the fuck had happened here? His head swung toward the disinterested man who had no right to be called her grandfather. There was no doubt in his mind that he was the one responsible for shooting her.

How could she be dead? Maybe her body was too weak from attempting to create and protect the Ajin baby she carried. He had tried to feed her good food, make her rest, keep her as calm as possible under the circumstances, but...His eyes moved down to the huge hole in her gut.

"How could you - " He began only to be cut off abruptly.

"Let's go. We need to get those weapons," Satō announced coldly, turning his back on his granddaughter.

"Yes, sir," Tanaka agreed reluctantly.

Before walking away, he dared to glimpse one more time at the woman lying on the floor surrounded by a large puddle of her own blood. His eyes briefly met those of his two companions, Kimura and Takahashi. Their eyes were wide with fear and disbelief. The only thing they could do was shake their heads.

None of them had a clue how Satō could do such a heinous thing. One thing they now knew for sure was that the man was completely insane and had none of their best interests at heart. If the man could so callously disfigure his own granddaughter and walk away with no remorse, certainly he gave not a single fuck about them or any other Ajin. However, at this time, they had no choice but to follow him and complete the mission.

"Kei! Kei!" Kō hollered running toward him from the stairwell in the opposite direction of where Satō and his minions had exited the floor.

"Kō, stay back," Kei yelled at the top of his lungs, leaning over Callie to hide her body from her boyfriend's view.

Kō's sneakers emitted an ear shattering squeak when he came to a sudden halt. He could see blood. A lot of blood. And Callie was not moving.

"What happened?" he asked, unable to stop staring at the crimson pool marring the white marble floor. "She can't be dead. She's an Ajin." His voice was breathy, stilted, as if he found difficulty finding the strength to form the words. "She's not dead. She can't die. What's going on, Kei? What happened?"

"Kō, get back," Shimomura ordered him, turning his body by placing her hands on his shoulders and pushing him away. She walked behind him to make sure he would not turn back around.

"What the hell happened, Nagai?" Tosaki demanded. "How could your brilliant plan fail so spectacularly? This is the second time - "

"Sir, not now," Shimomura intervened since obviously Tosaki had not assessed the situation by using simple observation and deduction. He willfully ignored the apparent evidence of the calamitous events that had occurred and their far worse conclusion.

"Kei," Callie weakly moaned.

"You're alive," he breathed, watching the tiny black particles hopping around her body as she regained her life.

"Kei, it hurts," she whined, attempting to touch her belly but he grabbed her hand to pull it away. The wound had not yet healed itself fully. There was still a big open hole revealing fresh, half formed organs and raw muscles weaving themselves anew.

"She's okay? She's alive?" Kō asked, his voice high pitched with fear yet full of hope.

"She's alive," Kei confirmed, pushing sweat and blood tinged hair away from her white face still pasty from death's recent hold on her.

"The baby - " Kō began the question but stopped when he saw the tears in Shimomura's eyes.

"We don't know yet. The baby is an Ajin. So..." She stopped speaking, biting her trembling lower lip.

Tosaki cleared his throat. "We should get her back to headquarters. To the doctor. Let's go."

* * *

~\\..'../~

Everyone clogged the hall outside the examination room waiting for news about Callie and the baby. Kō paced the entire length of the hallway. Kei performed search after search on his tablet. Pointless busy work to occupy his mind. Tosaki leaned into the corner, chain smoking. No one bothered to admonish him for smoking inside the building. Ogura smoked along with him, observing everyone in silence. Shimomura stood at attention beside the door of the room.

The door opening startled all of them, even the affectless Ogura. Ms. Fujiwara stood in front of them holding a metal chart to her chest. Her eyes were red rimmed and bloodshot. No one knew if her eyes were a mess from crying or lack of sleep. The doctor and nurse had been observing Callie for over twenty four hours. No one had slept.

"Callie's body is taking longer to heal because it is concurrently mending the damaged tissues while maintaining her basic functions and sustaining the baby," she explained, sighing heavily.

"So the baby is okay?" Kō asked, pushing between Kei and Tosaki to be closer to the nurse.

"As far as we can tell, the baby is fine. The uterus was not damaged by the bullet due to her being in the early stage of pregnancy. The projectile passed through the upper part of her abdomen, destroying several organs, muscle, and bone, including three vertebrae."

"Can I see her?" the worried boyfriend inquired, stepping forward.

The nurse blocked his way to the door. She lay her hand on his chest over his heart, patting him sympathetically. Her eyes became shiny with unshed tears.

"She has been put into an induced coma to allow her body to recover without stressing her other systems or causing her immune system to harm to the baby."

"For how long?" Kei questioned the nurse. He was sure Kō had been shocked into silence and could not form the question.

"We don't know. It just depends on how long it takes her to heal completely." The nurse glanced around at all of the exhausted, haggard faces surrounding her. "You should all eat a good meal and get some sleep. We don't have time to be tending to other sick people at the moment."

Ms. Fujiwara sniffed, quickly turning to disappear behind the closed door. A loud click signaled she locked the door behind her.

"All right everybody," Tosaki began. "We should do as the nurse says. We need to rest and regroup. Kei, I need a plan."

"No," he said, his voice low, resolute.

"What did you say?"

"I said no. I won't. I'm done."

No one could say a thing as they watched Kei walk away. After he disappeared around the corner, Kō finally spoke.

"Maybe it's for the best."

* * *

Author's Note: I was going to be a totally horrible bitch and end the chapter before the last bit about her and the baby's condition. However, I could not bring myself to do it because I have no idea when I will get around to writing the next chapter. Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this update. Thank you!


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